Land Use and Land Cover in Tropical Forest: Global Research

Tropical ecosystems play an important role in the environment. They provide multiple ecosystem services, such as carbon capture and sequestration, food supply, and climate regulation. Studying land use and land cover change makes it possible to understand the land's alterations associated with deforestation, degradation, erosion, soil desertification, and biodiversity loss. The objective of this study is to evaluate the different approaches to land use and land cover research in tropical forests based on the evolutionary and qualitative analysis of the last 44 years of scientific production. The data were collected using the Scopus database and was based on the PRISMA methodology's four phases: (i) identification, (ii) screening, (iii) eligibility, and (iv) included. The results showed a significant increase in the study of land use and land cover consolidated in 4557 articles, with contributions from 74 countries, revealing 14 themes and seven lines of research. Core research areas such as biodiversity, land use, and conservation exist due to the ongoing interest in the value of tropical forests and their response to climate change. The present research allowed us to consider future study topics such as the relationship between sustainable development goals and land use and cover in tropical forests, as well as the evaluation of the environmental impact of economic activities in forests.

Automated summary

Tropical ecosystems are important for the environment, providing various ecosystem services. Understanding land use and land cover change in tropical forests helps to address deforestation, degradation, erosion, desertification, and biodiversity loss. The study found a significant increase in research on land use and land cover, involving 74 countries, and identified 14 themes and seven research areas. Future research should consider the relationship between sustainable development goals and land use and cover in tropical forests, as well as the environmental impacts of economic activities.