Spatial heterogeneity and ecosystem service: strategic measures for planning in the Atlantic forest

• Grant number: 13/08746-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: July 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Rozely Ferreira dos Santos
• Grantee: Vivian Cristina dos Santos Hackbart
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The perspective of elaborate environmental planning from the concept of ecosystem services (ES) has expanded in a very short period of time; mainly because this strategy shows that damages caused to ecosystems leads to losses related to biodiversity and to human wellbeing. However, little is known about the role of landscape's spatial arrangement and availability of natural resources on the quantity and quality of the services provided.. Thus, in order to get answers on this question, this project supports that in the Atlantic Forest is possible to recognize the direct dependence between mature forest and ES, but with thresholds dependent on spatial heterogeneity of the landscape in which these forests are located. Therefore, we will analyze the ES supply of water in 12 watersheds in the region of Vale do Paraíba and compared: (i) the different percentages of forest cover, (ii) uses interference of anthropogenic reforestation and pasture, and (iii) the influence of the spatial heterogeneity of the landscape. Analyzes will be conducted to evaluate the water quality and, through GIS, land uses and forest fragments will be mapped and quantified. Spatial heterogeneity will be assessed by the complexity of patches and boundaries, aggregation and distances between patches of focal point. With these results, it is expected to identify the critical point of forest loss and the role of planted forests and pasture in the water supply services and identify the set of characteristics related to spatial heterogeneity that best respond to water quality. These conclusions should enable guidance to environmental planning that aims forest conservation and ecosystem services management in landscapes of the Atlantic Forest.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

HACKBART, VIVIAN C. S.; DE LIMA, GUILHERME T. N. P.; DOS SANTOS, ROZELY F.. Theory and practice of water ecosystem services valuation: Where are we going?. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, v. 23, p. 218-227, FEB 2017. (13/08746-1)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

HACKBART, Vivian Cristina dos Santos. Water ecosystem services in fragmented forest landscapes: a way for the Atlantic Forest conservation. 2016. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB) São Paulo.