PEVS

Overview

PEVS (Produção da Silvicultura e da Extração Vegetal - Silviculture and Forestry Extraction Production) is a comprehensive annual survey conducted by IBGE that collects data on forestry and related activities in Brazil.

This dataset provides:

  • Native forest extraction: Data on harvesting of native plant resources from natural forests
  • Planted forest production: Information on timber and other products from managed forest plantations
  • Silviculture activities: Forest management, afforestation, and reforestation data
  • Production volumes and values: Both physical quantities and economic values
  • Harvested areas: Land area from which extraction or harvest occurred
  • Forest crop areas: Total existing areas of forest crops (silviculture)
  • Multi-level geographic data: Available at country, regional, state, and municipality levels
  • Long historical coverage: Annual data from 1986 onwards

PEVS is Brazil’s primary source for forestry production statistics, important for understanding the timber industry, forest management practices, and sustainable use of forest resources.

Data Source and Coverage

PEVS data comes from: - Direct surveys of forestry companies and producers - Administrative records from forestry operations - Compiled and validated by IBGE’s agriculture statistics division - Annual release with data for previous year - Covers both industrial and subsistence-level forestry activities

For more information, visit IBGE Agriculture Statistics.

Available Datasets

1. pevs_forest_crops

Production data from forest crop plantations (timber and non-timber products).

  • Coverage: All Brazilian forest crops and related products
  • Time period: 1986 to 2019
  • Geographic levels: Country, Region, State, Municipality
  • Key variables: Quantity produced, value of production, by product type
  • Products included: Eucalyptus, pine, other timber species, charcoal, resins, turpentine, cork
  • Use cases:
    • Analyze timber production by region and species
    • Track forest product market values
    • Identify regional forestry specialization
    • Assess economic contribution of forest crops
    • Monitor charcoal and other non-timber forest products

2. pevs_silviculture

Data on silviculture activities including afforestation, reforestation, and forest management.

  • Coverage: All silviculture operations across Brazil
  • Time period: 1986 to 2019
  • Geographic levels: Country, Region, State, Municipality
  • Key variables: Quantity and value of silviculture products, area under management
  • Activities tracked: Timber production, forest management, conservation activities
  • Use cases:
    • Track silviculture expansion and development
    • Analyze productivity of managed forests
    • Regional specialization in forest management
    • Economic analysis of forest-based industries
    • Environmental and conservation-oriented forestry

3. pevs_silviculture_area

Total existing area used for silviculture operations, disaggregated by forest species.

  • Coverage: All silviculture land areas in Brazil
  • Time period: 2013 to 2019 (limited historical coverage)
  • Geographic levels: Country, Region, State, Municipality
  • Key variables: Total area by species (hectares), area by type of forest operation
  • Species tracked: Eucalyptus, pine, acacia, other species
  • Measurement: Area as of December 31st of each year
  • Use cases:
    • Monitor forest plantation expansion
    • Track species-specific area trends
    • Land use change analysis
    • Assessment of silviculture infrastructure
    • Regional forest resource assessment
    • Support for long-term forest management planning

Function Parameters

1. dataset

Selects which forestry dataset to download.

dataset = "pevs_forest_crops"       # Forest crop production (1986-2019)
dataset = "pevs_silviculture"       # Silviculture production (1986-2019)
dataset = "pevs_silviculture_area"  # Silviculture land area (2013-2019)

2. raw_data

Controls whether to download original or processed data.

  • TRUE: Returns raw IBGE data with original Portuguese variable names
  • FALSE: Returns treated data with English variable names, standardized units, and cleaned formatting
raw_data = FALSE  # logical

3. geo_level

Specifies the geographic aggregation level.

  • "country": National aggregate
  • "region": Brazilian geographic regions (North, Northeast, Center-West, Southeast, South)
  • "state": State-level data (27 units)
  • "municipality": Most granular level with 5,570+ municipalities
geo_level = "state"  # character string

4. time_period

Defines which year(s) to download.

Important: Dataset-specific availability:

Dataset Available Years
pevs_forest_crops 1986-2019
pevs_silviculture 1986-2019
pevs_silviculture_area 2013-2019 
time_period = 2019              # single year
time_period = c(2010, 2015)     # specific years
time_period = 2010:2019         # range of years

5. language

Output language for variable names.

  • "pt": Portuguese
  • "eng": English
language = "eng"  # character string

Examples

Example 1: Forest crop production by state

# download treated forest crops data at the state level for 2019
forest_crops <- load_pevs(
  dataset = "pevs_forest_crops",
  raw_data = FALSE,
  geo_level = "state",
  time_period = 2019,
  language = "eng"
)

Example 2: Silviculture area by state over time

# download treated silviculture area data at the state level for 2013 to 2019
silvi_area <- load_pevs(
  dataset = "pevs_silviculture_area",
  raw_data = FALSE,
  geo_level = "state",
  time_period = 2013:2019,
  language = "eng"
)

Example 3: Silviculture production by region

# download treated silviculture production data at the region level for 2019
silvi_prod <- load_pevs(
  dataset = "pevs_silviculture",
  raw_data = FALSE,
  geo_level = "region",
  time_period = 2019,
  language = "eng"
)

Data Notes

Data Structure

Each row typically represents: - A geographic unit (country, region, state, or municipality) - A specific year - A product type or forest species - Quantity produced (in appropriate units: cubic meters, tons, etc.) - Value of production (in currency units)

Product Categories

Forest crops include: - Timber species: Eucalyptus, pine, other timber - Non-timber products: Charcoal, resins, turpentine, cork, bark - Other forest products: Tannin, rosin, pulpwood

Exact categories vary by dataset and year.

Raw vs. Treated Data

  • Raw data (raw_data = TRUE): IBGE original format, Portuguese variable names
  • Treated data (raw_data = FALSE): English names, standardized units, cleaned formatting

Important Limitations

  1. Data collection changes: Survey methodology may evolve over time
  2. Area vs. production: Area data only available from 2013; earlier years have production data only
  3. Municipality data sparse: Many small municipalities may have zero or no reported data
  4. Seasonal nature: Some products are seasonal; annual aggregates smooth out variation
  5. Informal forestry: May undercount small-scale or informal forestry operations

Units of Measurement

  • Area: Hectares (ha)
  • Quantity: Varies by product (cubic meters for timber, tons for charcoal, etc.)
  • Value: Brazilian Real (R$) at current prices