CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

The Argentine Chaco is the largest forest and the largest reservoir of biomass in the country and the extra tropical southern hemisphere. His portion located west of the 700 mm isohyets, is the environment of Semi-arid Chaco, which occupies, as part of the provinces of Salta, Chaco, Formosa, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán. This sector of Chaco is the most biologically diverse and is characterized by accelerated deforestation, mainly for the cultivation of soybeans. Conceived as an empty territory in population terms, it took precedence over him the ideas of poverty and demographic vacuum. However, the changes that are operating in the margins of this environment in relation to the agricultural frontier expansion, affect local populations, transforming their demographic dynamics. This paper aims to show the deforestation and the advancing of the agricultural frontier impact, especially with soybeans cultivation, in the demographic dynamics of the area. To assess the deforested areas, we calculated deforestation rates for two periods (1989/92-1997 and 1997-2001). To do this, we use images TM 30m x 30 pixels resolution. Changes in the acreage were analyzed by comparing data from the National Agricultural Census 1988 and 2002. Based on data from the National Population Census 1991 and 2001, as well as vital statistics for that period (Births and Deaths), describes the changes in population growth, discriminating total growth rates, vegetative and migration. The results show that, along with a major process of deforestation, there was a significant breakthrough of grain crops, especially soybeans, which has served as an incentive to attract migrants to the area. However, the benefits obtained with the cultivation of soybeans will not be reinvested in the area.

enviar mensaje