Brazil will stop monitoring deforestation in the Cerrado, the world's most species-rich savanna, a government researcher said on Thursday citing a lack of funds, days after data showed destruction hitting a 6-year high in 2021.

The Cerrado, which neighbors the Amazon rainforest and stretches across several Brazilian states, is a major bulwark against climate change due to the carbon it absorbs. It is often likened to an upside-down forest because its plants sink roots deep into the ground.

Deforestation rose 8% to 8,531 square kilometers in the Cerrado for the 12 months through July, data from national space research agency Inpe showed on Friday.