Carbon stocks, flows, and other parameters
of plantations for pulpwood, charcoal and
sawlogs, and the current mix of these plantation
types, are compared to prior vegetation in
Table 1. Prior vegetation is assumed to be the
equilibrium landscape in deforested areas of the
Brazilian Legal Amazon (Fearnside;4 modified
from Fearnsides). These areas, which totaled
41 x lo6 ha in 199014 (excluding areas flooded
by hydroelectric dams) are a mosaic dominated
by productive pasture, degraded pasture, and
secondary vegetation. Brazil’s Legal Amazon is
an administrative region covering 500 x lo6 ha
(about 60% of the country); most of the present
plantations are in the southern part of Brazil,
outside of the Legal Amazon.