Effects of deforestation on microclimate in a Cerrado-Amazonia Transition area

Abstract

The Cerrado-Amazon Transition region has a high deforested area in Brazil. Given the importance of the forest in maintaining the climate of this region, were evaluated the patterns of micrometeorological variables in forested and deforested areas in the Cerrado-Amazon Transition region in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Precipitation, solar radiation, average, minimum and maximum air temperature, relative air humidity, soil temperature and wind speed were measured into a forest (FOR) and in a deforested area (DEF). Precipitation in the studied region has a hyper-seasonal pattern with 95% of the volume in the wet season (October to April), which influenced the seasonality of the micrometeorological variables. Solar radiation in DEF was 8-folds higher than in FOR, air temperature in DEF was up to 11% higher than in FOR, relative humidity in FOR was up to 14% higher than in DEF, soil temperature in DEF was 18% greater than in FOR and wind speed in DEF was 22-folds greater than in FOR. Deforestation significantly influenced the seasonality and magnitude of the analyzed micrometeorological variables.