Deforestation in the Amazon. True colour Landsat satellite image of part of the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil, showing areas of deforestation (light green and brown). Throughout much of the 1980s, deforestation in Brazil eliminated more than 15,000 square kilometres of forest per year. Deforestation is normally undertaken to create grazing areas for cattle. The removal of trees leaves soil exposed to rapid erosion by water, leading to the removal of valuable top soil. Image taken on 17 July 1985.