Study Region
Site Overview
Our study takes place in Rondônia, a region of agricultural colonization settlements in the western Brazilian Amazon, where there is evidence that deforestation is altering precipitation patterns and relationships between land and atmosphere. Rondônia is located in Northern region of Brazil on the border with Bolivia, and has a mixture of tropical forests and agricultural land. Our previous research focused primarily on Ouro Preto do Oeste, but has since expanded to include other parts of Rondônia. We divide Rondônia into three areas of interest: Northwest (Buritis), Central (Ouro Preto do Oeste), and Southeast (Pimenta Bueno). These study sites are located along east-west and north-south gradients to capture differences in precipitation patterns, climate, soils and biophysical factors, while displaying consistent socioeconomic conditions, including settlement history, production practices, and level of development.
The Rondonian field sites include 17 municipalities:
Northwest / Buritis
Ariquemes
Buritis
Cacaulandia
Campo Novo de Rondônia
Monte Negro
Central / Ouro Preto do Oeste
Ouro Preto do Oeste
Mirante da Serra
Nova União
Teixeiropolis
Urupá
Vale do Paraíso
Southeast / Pimenta Bueno
Parecis
Primavera de Rondônia
Pimenta Bueno
Rolim de Moura
Santa Luzia d'Oeste
São Felipe do Oeste