Mangroves play an essential ecological role in the maintenance of the coastal
zone and are extremely important for the socioeconomics of coastal communities.
However, mangrove ecosystems are impacted by a range of anthropogenic pressures,
and the loss of this habitat can be attributed primarily to the human occupation
of the coastal zone. In the present study, we analyzed the spatial patterns of
land use in the mangrove of the Brazilian Amazon coast, and evaluated the
anthropogenic drivers of this impact, using a remote sensing approach. We mapped
the road network using RapidEye images, and human settlements using global data.
The results of these analyses indicate that the Brazilian Amazon coast has a low
population density and low rates of anthropogenic impact in most of the coastal
microregions investigated, factors that contribute to the maintenance and
conservation of the region’s mangrove. The study also revealed that the paved
road network is one of the principal drivers of land use in the mangrove,
whereas other factors, such as population density, urban centers, and the number
of settlements are much less important. While the region has 2024 km of paved
highways, unpaved roads (17,496 km) facilitate access to the mangrove, with
approximately 90% of anthropogenic impact being recorded within a 3 km radius of
these roads. While the network of paved highways is relatively reduced in
extension, preventive measures are urgently required to impede any major shift
in the current scenario, caused by the expansion of major development programs.
The results of the study indicate that biophysical, economic, and political
factors may also contribute to the reduction, stability, and development of one
of the world’s largest areas of mangrove forest.