Soybean farming has brought economic development to parts of South America, as well as environmental hopes and concerns. A substantial hope resides in the decoupling of Brazil's agricultural sector from deforestation in the Amazon region, in which case expansive agriculture need not imply forest degradation. However, concerns have also been voiced about the potential indirect effects of agriculture. This article addresses these indirect effects forthe case of the Brazilian Amazon since 2002. Our work finds that as much as thirty-two percent of deforestation, or the loss of more than 30,000 km2 of Amazon forest, is attributable, indirectly, to Brazil's soybean sector. However, we also observe that the magnitude of the indirect impact of the agriculture sector on forest loss in the Amazon has declined markedly since 2006. We also find a shift in the underlying causes of indirect land use change in the Amazon, and suggest that land appreciation in agricultural regions has supplanted farm expansions as a source of indirect land use change. Our results are broadly congruent with recent work recognizing the success of policy changes in mitigating the impact of soybean expansion on forest loss in the Amazon. However, they also caution that the soybean sector may continue to incentivize land clearings through its impact on regional land markets.

中文翻译：

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空间复杂的土地变化：巴西农业部门对亚马逊地区土地利用的间接影响。

大豆种植给南美部分地区带来了经济发展，也带来了对环境的希望和关注。一个很大的希望寄希望于巴西农业部门与亚马逊地区森林砍伐的脱钩，在这种情况下，扩张性农业并不一定意味着森林退化。但是，也有人对农业的潜在间接影响表示关注。本文讨论了自2002年以来对巴西亚马逊地区造成的这些间接影响。我们的工作发现，多达32％的森林砍伐或亚马逊地区30,000多平方公里的森林砍伐间接归因于巴西的大豆部门。但是，我们还观察到，自2006年以来，农业部门对亚马逊地区森林丧失的间接影响的幅度已显着下降。我们还发现亚马逊地区间接土地用途变化的根本原因发生了变化，并建议农业地区的土地增值已经取代了农场扩张作为间接土地用途变化的来源。我们的结果与最近的工作大体一致，这些工作认识到政策变化在缓解大豆扩张对亚马逊地区森林流失的影响方面的成功。但是，他们也警告说，大豆行业可能会通过对区域土地市场的影响来继续激励土地开垦。我们的结果与最近的工作大体一致，这些工作认识到政策变化在缓解大豆扩张对亚马逊地区森林流失的影响方面的成功。但是，他们也警告说，大豆行业可能会通过对区域土地市场的影响来继续激励土地开垦。我们的结果与最近的工作大体一致，这些工作认识到政策变化在缓解大豆扩张对亚马逊地区森林流失的影响方面的成功。但是，他们也警告说，大豆行业可能会通过其对区域土地市场的影响而继续激励土地开垦。