TY - JOUR T1 - Emerging threats linking tropical deforestation and the COVID-19 pandemic JO - Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation T2 - AU - Brancalion,Pedro H.S. AU - Broadbent,Eben N. AU - de-Miguel,Sergio AU - Cardil,Adrián AU - Rosa,Marcos R. AU - Almeida,Catherine T. AU - Almeida,Danilo R.A. AU - Chakravarty,Shourish AU - Zhou,Mo AU - Gamarra,Javier G.P. AU - Liang,Jingjing AU - Crouzeilles,Renato AU - Hérault,Bruno AU - Aragão,Luiz E.O.C. AU - Silva,Carlos Alberto AU - Almeyda-Zambrano,Angelica M. SN - 25300644 M3 - 10.1016/j.pecon.2020.09.006 DO - 10.1016/j.pecon.2020.09.006 UR - https://perspectecolconserv.com/en-emerging-threats-linking-tropical-deforestation-articulo-S2530064420300584 AB - Tropical deforestation drivers are complex and can change rapidly in periods of profound societal transformation, such as those during a pandemic. Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred illegal, opportunistic forest clearing in tropical countries, threatening forest ecosystems and their resident human communities. A total of 9583km2 of deforestation alerts from Global Land Analysis & Discovery (GLAD) were detected across the global tropics during the first month following the implementation of confinement measures of local governments to reduce COVID-19 spread, which is nearly double that of 2019 (4732km2). We present a conceptual framework linking tropical deforestation and the current pandemic. Zoonotic diseases, public health, economy, agriculture, and forests may all be reciprocally linked in complex positive and negative feedback loops with overarching consequences. We highlight the emerging threats to nature and society resulting from this complex reciprocal interplay and possible policy interventions that could minimize these threats. ER -