Intra-regional Wealth-Deforestation Relationships in the Brazilian Pantanal: An Examination of the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis

This paper provides an examination of the EKC Hypothesis applied to deforestation in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland. It is hypothesized that the unsustainable subdivision of many of the larger ranches due to inheritance may result in greater deforestation pressure than a less equal distribution of land and animal resources. The analysis advances understanding in this area on several dimensions: an intra-regional rather than international approach is examined; deforestation is addressed; and land and cattle wealth serve as proxies for income and wealth among agriculturists, where income measures are notoriously poor indicators of welfare.