Efeitos das mudanças de uso e cobertura da terra na paisagem e nos serviços ecossistêmicos no leste da Amazônia

Abstract

In the Brazilian Amazon, the conversion of large forest areas, mainly for the expansion of agricultural activities and urban areas, has led to the loss and fragmentation of ecosystems.These changes alter ecosystem processes and functions and may affect the provision of several ecosystem services essential for human well-being and economic activities. In this context, the analysis of the effects of these changes on the landscapes and ecosystems in the Amazon region is essential to better understand the impact of these anthropogenic modifications on ecosystems services in terms of economic, ecological and social aspects. This thesis was designed to (1) quantify the impacts of land use changes on the economic value of ecosystem services in the eastern Amazon; (2) analyze the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on the provision of ecosystem services; (3) evaluate the perception of local traditional communities about ecosystem services in order to verify which factors influence the way they identify and perceive ecosystem services and their main threats. The results show that in the 36 years analyzed there was a considerable loss in the economic value of ecosystem services provided by the forest areas, however the increase in agricultural areas has resulted in a positive balance, as the associated ecosystem services, mainly food, have a high value. In addition, forest ecosystems are smaller and increasingly fragmented and isolated, which has degraded habitat quality in the landscape and reduced carbon stocks in the region. Deforestation and illegal mining were perceived by local communities as the main threats to the provision of several ecosystem services. The most important ecosystem services identified by the communities are related to the provisioning category, such as food, wood products and medicinal plants, as well asregulating services. These results highlight the importance of assessing ecosystem services from different perspectives, in order to provide more robust information to base the development of conservation strategies, management and land use planning, as well as financial incentive strategies for ecosystem conservation or restoration.