Exploring change: Deforestation in Paraguay

The Paraguayan Atlantic Forest ecoregion has experienced dramatic deforestation in recent decades due to agriculture. Using Landsat satellite imagery, scientists have determined that in the 1970s, almost 75% of this region was forested; by 2001, forest only covered 25%. The fragmented forest results in patches that may be too small or isolated to protect the native ecological community.  

Swipe app

Use the app below to explore how the forest in Paraguay changed between 1973 and 2000.

  • Swipe from left to right to visually compare the 1973 and 2000 layers.
  • Zoom in and out to look at more details. Or click Home to go back to the original view.
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Comparing the Paraguayan Atlantic Forest ecoregion in 1973 (left) and 2000 (right).

The multispectral Landsat imagery is displayed in color infrared, so forested areas appear in bright red. Cultivated land appears in pink, gray, or blue green according to the amount of vegetation it contains. Built up areas also appear in gray or blue green. Water bodies appear in different shades of blue.

Things to try 

    • Can you recognize the different types of features? (Forest, cultivated fields, human-made buildings, roads, water bodies.)
    • What has changed? In areas where deforestation occurred, what type of land cover replaced the forest? 

    • How have some of the bodies of water changed? What could be the explanation for these changes?