Skye Hellenkamp

Fellowship Year: 
2024
Degree: 
MESc
Research Country: 
Brazil
Research Continent: 
South America
Abstract: 

Land surface temperature is a dominant influence on the health and productivity of ecosystems. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has led to extensive land-use transitions from forests to pastures and industrialized agriculture. This has resulted in elevated land surface temperatures, with impacts on the energy, water, and carbon cycles. Forest fragmentation increases the area of forest edges, where exposure to sunlight, wind, and bordering land-uses alters the forest microclimate. While the changes in forest edge temperature due to bordering land-use transitions are acknowledged, the magnitude of these changes between specific agricultural land management practices has yet to be determined. This case study uses a remote sensing approach to investigate forest edge temperatures in Mato Grosso, Brazil, with the primary goal of discerning how distinct agricultural practices, such as cover cropping or double cropping, can potentially mitigate adverse temperature impacts on forest edges. These findings will strengthen understanding of forest edge temperatures and the potential of sustainable land management, and contribute to broader conservation efforts in the Amazon.