Brazil lost 1.6 million hectares of tree cover in tropical rainforests in 2025, according to a Global Forest Watch report released on Wednesday (Apr. 29) by the nonprofit environmental organization World Resources Institute (WRI).

The figure represents a 42 percent reduction in losses compared to 2024, with a greater decline in clear-cutting not involving fire. Losses unrelated to fires result from deforestation, clear-cutting, and natural die-off, among other factors.

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“Brazil reduced non-fire-related losses by 41 percent compared to 2024, reaching the lowest level since records began [in 2001],” said Elizabeth Goldman, co-director of Global Forest Watch.

The states that saw the greatest reductions in losses were Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Acre, and Roraima, which together account for more than 40 percent of the decline. Maranhão was the only state where tree cover loss increased.

The data, produced annually by the Global Land Analysis and Discovery Laboratory (GLAD) at the University of Maryland, refer to primary vegetation - that is, mature natural areas with original vegetation.

Researchers at the World Resources Institute highlighted that the model used does not measure only deforestation, unlike Brazil’s official monitoring system, the Project for Monitoring Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon by Satellite (Prodes). The Global Forest Watch system also does not account for other disturbances, such as selective logging and natural die-off.

Alignment

According to Elizabeth Goldman, despite the different methods, the reduction indicated in the study aligns with the decline in deforestation across the main biomes, as reported by Prodes for the period from August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025.

“Beyond primary tropical forests, when considering total tree loss, most biomes saw a reduction, including the Caatinga, a region of dry forests in northeastern Brazil,” the researcher noted.

WRI Brasil Executive Director Mirela Sandrini said the results achieved by Brazil were made possible by a task force led by the government, with the participation of civil society, academia, local communities, and the private sector.

Initiatives such as intensifying production in already deforested areas, creating the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF), measures to compensate for environmental services, and tax incentives for those who preserve forests are in line with global expectations for the coming decade, Sandrini said.

“Given that Brazil is at the center of large-scale solutions for food, energy, and climate security, this is very important,” she pointed out.

Global data

Researchers say the results in Brazil had a positive impact on global data, which show a loss of 4.3 million hectares of tree cover in tropical rainforests worldwide in 2025.

This figure represents a 35 percent decrease compared to 2024, when vegetation loss reached a record high of 6.7 million hectares.

Non-fire-related losses of tree cover were the lowest in the past ten years, with a 23 percent decrease compared to 2024. By contrast, fire-related loss remains among the highest on record, ranking third since 2001.

Elizabeth Goldman stressed the figures for the 2025 fires are still subject to revision, as they may include late reports from 2024. “Smoke from active fires can block satellite sensors and delay the detection of these events,” she explained.

Losses

The loss of tree cover in Brazil accounted for more than 37 percent of the global total in the year; in terms of area, it was the country with the largest losses, followed by Bolivia (620,000 hectares) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (nearly 600,000 hectares). When the analysis is based on forest size, Bolivia and Madagascar recorded the greatest losses.

“Agricultural expansion was the main cause of tree cover loss in the tropics, driven by commodity production and a shift from subsistence farming to local market-oriented crops,” said the WRI co-director.

Fires

Globally, fires were the primary cause of tree cover loss in 2025. Over the past three years, fires have caused twice as much forest loss as they did two decades ago.

Goldman views the decline in tropical forest loss in 2025 as positive. However, she believes the result is insufficient to meet the commitment made by 140 countries to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030. According to her, current data still places the world 70 percent above the required level.

“Reaching this goal in the coming years will not be easy because forests are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, while humanity continues to grow and demand more fuel and food,” Goldman said.

The Official National List of Endangered Fauna Species for Fish and Aquatic Invertebrates was updated on Tuesday (Apr. 28). The review, which began in 2024, added 100 species and removed the same number, keeping the total at 490.

Fish, stingrays, sharks, starfish, and hundreds of other species on the Brazilian mainland and in its waters were assessed for extinction risk and, based on their current status, classified as Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN), or Critically Endangered (CR).

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According to João Paulo Capobianco, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, the update is the result of a robust technical analysis to determine the status of Brazilian wildlife, carried out through a joint effort by governments, academia, civil society, and the private sector.

“The goal of this initiative is to mobilize actions so that species currently under pressure from various factors can see their populations recover,” Capobianco said.

The new list replaces the 2014 version and was revised based on criteria from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), used to assess population size, geographic distribution, habitat conservation status, and pressures such as hunting and pollution.

In addition to the list, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change has published rules and restrictions to protect classified species and support the recovery of their populations. These include prohibitions on capture, transport, sale, and storage, as well as guidelines for developing recovery plans.

Snapper

According to the ministry, some recovery plans for reclassified species are already being revised, such as the snapper (Lutjanus purpureus), which has been reclassified from VU to EN.

Under the new classification, protection and management measures for the species will be intensified to reduce pressures from overfishing and the capture of juveniles.

According to Capobianco, this is a joint effort with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture aimed at rebuilding populations and ensuring the continuity of economic activity.

“When we talk about sustainability in fishing, we’re talking about ensuring balance: protecting species, respecting science, and ensuring that the fishing industry continues to provide food, income, and development in Brazil. The snapper is of great economic importance, but there will only be a future for this industry if we act responsibly in the present,” said Edipo Araujo, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

The study Global Assessment of the Extinction Risk of Soil-Dependent Species: Recent Advances and Recommendations finds that existing research is still insufficient to assess the conservation status of this biodiversity. The warning was issued on Soil and Water Conservation Day, observed on April 15.

The survey, published in international scientific journals, highlights that soil is essential for human survival, as 95 percent of food production depends on the health of this ecosystem, which can also store 27 percent of the carbon needed to keep global warming below 2°C.

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Under the leadership of the nonprofit organization Conservation International (CI), only species listed as threatened with extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) were assessed. Based on these data, 8,653 species were classified, of which 20 percent - at least 1,758 - remain at risk of extinction, the researchers note.

Another 1,722 species could not be assessed due to insufficient data to determine their global status.

“This is the first time we have attempted to assess the extinction risk of soil-dependent species, and data are really only available for vertebrates. Currently, there is very little information on the conservation status of invertebrates and fungi, which make up the vast majority of soil-dependent species,” explains Neil Cox, manager of the Biodiversity Assessment Unit, who led the study.

According to the researchers, the world’s most comprehensive list of global extinction risk - the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - underrepresents soil biodiversity. This lack of information could negatively impact life on the planet, as other studies indicate that soil diversity is essential for ecosystem functioning.

Invertebrates and fungi

One example is the limited knowledge of soil-dependent invertebrates and fungi, which are underrepresented on the IUCN list, with only 503 species assessed, even though they make up the majority of soil-dependent species - that is, those that spend a critical part of their life cycle in the soil or predominantly inhabit the soil–litter interface.

“There is a possibility that many little-known or yet-undiscovered species of soil-dependent invertebrates and fungi could be lost before they are even discovered - and that is very concerning. We don’t know exactly what the impact of losing these species would be on overall soil health, but it is understood to be negative,” warns the researcher.

Based on this assessment, the study offers recommendations for the academic community, governments, and society to advance knowledge of soil biodiversity:

• Establish a working group on soil biota within the IUCN Species Survival Commission;
• Strengthen ties between regional and global organizations working on soil biodiversity management;
• Improve knowledge sharing among the IUCN, governments, landowners, and the public regarding the importance of soil conservation.

For Cox, this implies broadening communication efforts and emphasizing the importance of preserving a rich diversity of soil-dependent species in land management practices.

“It is difficult to predict all the impacts, but given the importance of these species for various ecosystem services, such as the decomposition of organic matter and the release and cycling of nutrients, a reduction in this diversity will likely affect the overall health of the soil on which we depend,” he concludes.