Researches indicate that deforestation in the Amazon is associated with roads constructions, because it favors the migration and therefore the land occupation and wood exploitation. The BR-174 road was built in the 1970s and it was totally paved in 1997. This paper presents the analysis of spatial and temporal change of deforestation in the BR-174 road surroundings (20 km) for a period of 30 years (1978-2008). We used Landsat satellite images, INPE/PRODES data, fieldwork, cartographic and economic data. The results showed a high growth of deforestation rate, from 622.15 km² in 1978 to 2618.58 km² in 2008. Agriculture and cattle rising are the most common economic activities in the cities crossed by the BR-174 road, except Manaus, and nowadays it occurs on areas which were previously coverer by forest. In Manaus the deforestation process occurs mainly associated with urban growth. Although the construction of BR-174 is related to deforestation processes, the road has a great importance in the region because it turns into possible the connection between the two capitals (Manaus/AM and Boa Vista/RR), and it allowed the creation of new communities with their social and economic activities. Sustainable development projects will be the challenge for local governments, in order to add value to existing projects and develop new models for the land use in the region.
Amazon; deforestation; GIS; BR-174 road
