Large-scale clearance in the Brazilian Amazonia occurred as a result of economic, social and political influences. In the last twenty years, Rondonia, one of the nine states of Brazilian Amazonia, suffered the highest rate of population growth of all the states. Deforestation accompanied population growth in Rondonia with deforested area as much as 24.78 % of the total area of the state in 1993. The purpose of this study is to analyze the present forest situation of Rondonia State based on the fieldwork done in August 1997. In Rondonia, although efforts for sustainable management of the forests by the governmental institutions do exist, it was found that farmers were converting more than 50 % of their forests illegally, thus disregarding the government's ecological intentions. Consequently, Rondonia supplies 88 % of basic crops of all mid-west Brazilian region, today. In 1975-1985, log production in Rondonia registered an increase, however, due to the scarcity of mahogany after intensive exploitation of the wood, different timber is harvested at present. Timber was a source of 35 % of the economic income of the state in 1990, but among 1600 timber companies established in Rondonia in 1982-1988, only 50 % of them were in activity in 1997. With the introduction of National development projects and timber industries in the 1970's, Rondonia was transformed into a big agricultural nucleus, yet left many ecological problems behind.

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