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Implications of Rural–Urban Migration for Conservation of the Atlantic Forest and Urban Growth in Misiones, Argentina (1970–2030)

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Abstract

Global trends of increasing rural–urban migration and population urbanization could provide opportunities for nature conservation, particularly in regions where deforestation is driven by subsistence agriculture. We analyzed the role of rural population as a driver of deforestation and its contribution to urban population growth from 1970 to the present in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina, a global conservation priority. We created future land-use-cover scenarios based on human demographic parameters and the relationship between rural population and land-cover change between 1970 and 2006. In 2006, native forest covered 50% of the province, but by 2030 all scenarios predicted a decrease that ranged from 18 to 39% forest cover. Between 1970 and 2001, rural migrants represented 20% of urban population growth and are expected to represent less than 10% by 2030. This modeling approach shows how rural–urban migration and land-use planning can favor nature conservation with little impact on urban areas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CONICET; Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Casilla de Correo 34, Yerba Buena, 4107, Tucuman, Argentina

    Andrea E. Izquierdo & Héctor R. Grau

  2. Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico (CeIBA), Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina

    Andrea E. Izquierdo

  3. University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 23360, Río Piedras, 00931, Puerto Rico, Argentina

    T. Mitchell Aide

Authors
  1. Andrea E. Izquierdo
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  2. Héctor R. Grau
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  3. T. Mitchell Aide
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Correspondence to Andrea E. Izquierdo.

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Izquierdo, A.E., Grau, H.R. & Aide, T.M. Implications of Rural–Urban Migration for Conservation of the Atlantic Forest and Urban Growth in Misiones, Argentina (1970–2030). AMBIO 40, 298–309 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-010-0095-3

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