Landscape dynamics of pioneer fronts in the Brazilian Amazon under fire and climate change

Pioneer fronts in the Brazilian Amazon are undergoing rapid transformations driven by the combined effects of deforestation, forest degradation, fire, agricultural expansion and climate change. These dynamics have shaped pioneer fronts characterized by constantly evolving landscape mosaics combining forests, pastures, and croplands. This PhD project adopts an integrated landscape approach to identify the main landscape types, analyze their trajectories, and assess the climatic and ecological factors driving their transformations across the Brazilian Amazon. It examines the role and interactions of fire, logging and climate change in shaping landscape trajectories, as well as the risks affecting their future pathways, using the IPCC framework based on hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. The objective is to identify the most at-risk landscapes and trajectories and to clarify the conditions for more sustainable pathways that reconcile conservation and territorial development.