Brazil's habitat loss varies by president over three decades
A University of Cambridge-led study analyzing satellite imagery from 1990–2025 found that Brazil's presidential elections directly affected vegetation loss across the Amazon, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest. The Amazon lost an average of 994,000 hectares annually during Lula's first three years in office, representing a 29% reduction compared with 1.4 million hectares per year under Bolsonaro. However, in the Cerrado, habitat losses averaged 1.28 million hectares annually between 2023 and 2025, a 50% increase from Bolsonaro's presidency. The Atlantic Forest was the only biome to experience periods of net vegetation gain, particularly during Lula's first two terms and Rousseff's presidency, according to the study published in Environmental Research Communications.