## 4 Discussion
### Conservation Effectiveness and Buffer Zones Dynamics  
The results of this study demonstrate that conservation units provide a good level of protection against deforestation and forest degradation when compared to their surrounding areas. However, the effectiveness of this protection varied across different management types and administrative levels. Full protection conservation units were shown to be more effective when compared to sustainable use units in both cities, likely reflecting the stricter regulations and limited human activities allowed in these areas. However, the significant levels of forest degradation observed even within full protection units indicate that these areas are not immune to anthropogenic pressures.  
The large areas of deforestation and degradation detected in sustainable use units, particularly at the State level in both areas, raise questions about the efficacy of current management strategies in these areas. The predominant occurrence of agriculture and pasture within these units, especially in Porto Velho, suggests that economic pressures may outweigh conservation objectives in some units under state-level management. These findings echo concerns raised by previous studies about the challenges faced by sustainable use reserves in balancing conservation with local resource needs [22; 23]. Furthermore, differences in local economic activities and enforcement capacities are reflected in the dominance of deforestation patterns found in sustainable use units in Porto Velho compared to the prevalence of forest degradation patterns in Manaus.  
Regarding the effectiveness of conservation units across administrative levels, Federal units showed less disturbance, particularly in Manaus, suggesting that national-level management may provide stronger protection. Local-level units also experienced less disturbance, possibly due to their smaller sizes. In contrast, state-level units faced extensive deforestation and degradation, indicating potential challenges in enforcement and management at this level. This aligns with the findings from [PERSON] et al., where federally protected areas and indigenous lands generally experienced less internal deforestation than state-managed protected areas, particularly in the \"arc of deforestation\". This discrepancy may be attributed to federal agencies considering broader jurisdictional benefits and potentially having greater resources or enforcement capabilities [76].  
The analysis of buffer zones around conservation units provided crucial insights into the broader landscape context of protected areas. The large areas of deforestation and degradation detected inside buffer zones, compared to the conservation units themselves, highlight the effectiveness of the protected areas and the importance of considering local-level conservation approaches. This is particularly evident in Porto Velho, where buffer zones around sustainable use units experienced substantial forest loss and degradation, showing the consistent anthropogenic pressure over the units. Buffer zones around local-level units similarly experienced larger areas of disturbance than the units themselves, which may be due to these units being established in areas with high levels of human intervention, such as urban environments.  
The predominant conversion of forest to Agriculture/Pastureland in buffer zones mirrors the broader regional trend and underscores the ongoing tension between conservation and agricultural expansion in the Amazon [77]. This pattern suggests that conservation strategies need to extend beyond protected area boundaries to address local-level drivers of deforestation.