Deforestation through forest conversion is a significant threat to the environment that leads to biodiversity loss, land degradation, soil erosion, and climate change. We add to the literature by analyzing the aggregated (with the basic model estimated using GDP as a proxy for economic activity) and disaggregated (with the extended models using agriculture and mining as proxies for economic activities) effects of economic performance on deforestation in the Congo Basin, which is the world's second-largest contiguous block of tropical forest that has experienced an increase in deforestation in recent years. To solve the problems of small sample bias and series correlation, forest conversion data are explained using FMOLS-DOLS estimators with data from 1990 to 2020. The results show an inverted U-shaped pattern when mining and agriculture are considered indicators for economic activities while a U-shaped relationship when GDP is used as a proxy for economic activities. We also found that population, openness, forest rents, and institutions were significant determinants of deforestation in the Congo Basin. Hence, we suggested that deforestation rates can be reduced by enhanced educational attainment in collaboration with agricultural and mining technology improvement while strengthening governance will curtail deforestation and pave the way for sustainable exploitation of forest resources.

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经济绩效对于刚果盆地热带森林的森林转变重要吗？FMOLS-DOLS 方法

森林转变造成的森林砍伐对环境构成重大威胁，导致生物多样性丧失、土地退化、土壤侵蚀和气候变化。我们通过分析经济表现对刚果森林砍伐的总体（使用 GDP 作为经济活动代理估计的基本模型）和分类（使用农业和采矿作为经济活动代理的扩展模型）影响来补充文献盆地是世界第二大连续的热带森林区，近年来森林砍伐率不断增加。为了解决小样本偏差和序列相关问题，利用FMOLS-DOLS估计量对1990年至2020年的森林转化数据进行解释。当采矿业和农业被视为经济活动指标时，结果呈现倒U型模式。当 GDP 被用作经济活动的代理时，呈 U 形关系。我们还发现，人口、开放度、森林租金和制度是刚果盆地森林砍伐的重要决定因素。因此，我们建议通过提高教育程度并结合农业和采矿技术改进来降低森林砍伐率，同时加强治理将减少森林砍伐，为森林资源的可持续开发铺平道路。