Despite occupying an area no greater than 8% of the earth’s surface, natural wetland ecosystems fulfill multiple ecological functions: 1. Soil formation and stabilization support, 2. Food, water, and plant biomass supply, 3. Cultural/recreational services, landscape, and ecological tourism, 4. Climate regulation, and 5. Carbon sequestration; with the last one being its most important function. They are subject to direct and indirect incident factors that affect plant productivity and the sequestration of carbon from the soil. Thus, the objective of this review was to identify the incident factors in the loss of area and carbon sequestration in marine, coastal, and continental wetlands that have had an impact on climate change in the last 14 years, globally. The methodology consisted of conducting a literature review in international databases, analyzing a sample of 134 research studies from 37 countries, organized in tables and figures supported by descriptive statistics and content analysis. Global results indicate that agriculture (25%), urbanization (16.8%), aquaculture (10.7%), and industry (7.6%) are incident factors that promote wetlands effective loss affecting continental wetlands more than coastal and marine ones. Regarding carbon sequestration, this is reduced by vegetation loss since GHG emissions raise because the soil is exposed to sun rays, increasing surface temperature and oxidation, and raising organic matter decomposition and the eutrophication phenomenon caused by the previous incident factors that generate wastewater rich in nutrients in their different activities, thus creating biomass and plant growth imbalances, either at the foliage or root levels and altering the accumulation of organic matter and carbon. It is possible to affirm in conclusion that the most affected types of wetlands are: mangroves (25.7%), lagoons (19.11%), and marine waters (11.7%). Furthermore, it was identified that agriculture has a greater incidence in the loss of wetlands, followed by urbanization and industry in a lower percentage.
Wetland soils are important stores of soil carbon (C) in the biosphere, and play an important role in global carbon cycles in the response strategy to climate change. However, there areknowledge gaps in our understanding of the quantity and distribution in tropical regions. Specifically, Mexican wetlands have not been considered in global carbon budgets or carbon balances for a number of reasons, such as: (1) the lack of data, (2) Spanish publications have not been selected, or (3) because such balances are mainly made in the English language. This study analyzes the literature regarding carbon stocks, sequestration and fluxes in Mexican forested wetlands (Forest-W). Soil carbon stocks of 8, 24.5 and 40.1 kg cm−2 were detected for flooded palms, mangroves, and freshwater or swamps (FW) wetland soils, respectively, indicating that FW soils are the Forest-W with more potential for carbon sinks (p = 0.023), compared to mangroves and flooded palm soils. While these assessments of carbon sequestration were ranged from 36 to 920 g-C m−2 year−1, C emitted as methane was also tabulated (0.6–196 g-C m−2 year−1). Subtracting the C emitted of the C sequestered, 318.2 g-C m−2 year−1 were obtained. Such data revealed that Forest-W function is mainly as carbon sink, and not C source. This review can help to inform practitioners in future decisions regarding sustainable projects, restoration, conservation or creation of wetlands. Finally, it is concluded that Forest-W could be key ecosystems in strategies addressing the mitigation of climate change through carbon storage. However, new studies in this research line and public policies that protect these essential carbon sinks are necessary in order to, hopefully, elaborate global models to make more accurate predictions about future climate.
The present work determines by satellites images interpretation the behavior of the covering of the anthropic savannas of Sucre, Colombia, from 1985 at 2017 emphasizing in its current state. In accordance with their structure the secondary savannas assemble: semi anthropic savannas, anthropic savannas, artificial wooded savannas and artificial without trees savannas. The results show in accordance with the percentage changes in function of the evaluated periods that the artificial wooded or without trees savannas increased their areas, what would imply a slow sucesional and persistent degradation of the whole system. It points out that the biggest negative cause is generally represented by the intensive cattle grazing and the adaptation of pasture through the persistent and successive deforestation and burns. Conclude that the system of anthropic savannas presents a slow degradation and that a loss of original biotopes exists. Key words:Anthropic savannas; coverage analysis; Sucre; Colombia. ResumenEl presente trabajo determina mediante interpretación de imágenes satelitales el comportamiento de la cobertura de las sabanas antrópicas de Sucre, Colombia, desde 1985 a 2017, enfatizando en su estado actual. De acuerdo con su estructura agrupa a las sabanas secundarias como sabanas semiantrópicas, sabanas antrópicas, sabanas artificiales con arbolado y sabanas artificiales sin arbolado. Muestran los resultados que de acuerdo con los cambios porcentuales en función de los periodos evaluados, se puede indicar que las sabanas artificiales con o sin arbolado aumentaron sus áreas, lo que implicaría una degradación sucesional lenta pero persistente de todo el sistema; señala así mismo que la mayor causa negativa está representada generalmente por el pastoreo intensivo y la adecuación de potreros a través de la constante y sucesiva deforestación y quema. Se puede concluir que el sistema de sabanas antrópicas presenta una degradación lenta y que existe una pérdida de biotopos originales. Palabras Clave:Sabanas antrópicas; análisis de cobertura; Sucre; Colombia. Análisis temporal de la cobertura en sabanas antrópicas de Sucre, ColombiaTemporary analysis of the covering in antropic savannas of Sucre, Colombia
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