2. AREA UNDER STUDY 2.1 Localization
The area under study is located partially at the municipalities of Sinop, Cláudia and Itaúba, at northern Mato Grosso State, Central-West Brazil, between geographical coordinates S 10°48'55"- S 12°00'46" and W 54°54'03" - W 55°46'53" (Figure 1). This area is situated along a section of highway BR-163 Cuiabá-Santarém, encompassing an area of 382,000 ha.