Cerrado Expands 1.8% as IBGE Redraws Atlantic Forest–Cerrado Boundary in MG and SP

Overview

• The revision updates biome totals to 1,086,977 km² for the Atlantic Forest and 2,004,423 km² for the Cerrado.
• IBGE reclassified 19,869 km² along contact zones, with 816 km² in Minas Gerais and 19,053 km² in São Paulo.
• Changes were based on integrated analysis of geology, geomorphology, soils, vegetation and climate, supported by five field expeditions from 2022 to 2025.
• The institute states the shifts reflect mapping refinements rather than recent deforestation or reforestation.
• Local effects include the Uberaba–Franca area moving to Cerrado and Belo Horizonte now entirely within the Atlantic Forest, extending toward Sete Lagoas and the Serra de Santa Helena.