Deforestation in South America's Dry Forests Threatens Indigenous Communities and Jaguars

Researchers from the Faculty of Agronomy and CONICET evaluated the impact of forest loss on 400 indigenous communities in Salta, Argentina, between 2001 and 2021. They found that the communities lost an average of 20 % of the forest they rely on for water, food and other vital resources, with some groups losing up to 50 % of their main livelihood. "Los resultados son contundentes: entre el 2001 y 2021, en promedio, (esas 400 comunidades) perdieron el 20 % de los bosques que usan para conseguir agua, alimentos y otros recursos vitales," said researcher María Vallejos.

A separate study published in *Environmental Research Letters* mapped three distinct cattle‑raising systems across the South American dry diagonal – the Chaco, Chiquitania, Cerrado and Caatinga – and showed how each contributes differently to deforestation and threatens jaguar habitat. The authors, led by Jamie Burton of the University Humboldt, argue that treating livestock production as a single category obscures the varied impacts of small‑scale, capital‑intensive, and industrial‑intensive ranching, limiting the effectiveness of conservation policies.

Both studies highlight that the expansion of agriculture and livestock in the region is fragmenting and shrinking critical forest areas, undermining the livelihoods of indigenous peoples and the survival of apex predators such as the jaguar.