Watershed services payments to smallholders in the Brazilian Amazon: challenges and perspectives

Abstract

Several hydrobiogeochemical research activities have been conducted in the Eastern Amazon, contributing to the understanding of how changes in forests and agro-ecosystems affect the provision of services to ecosystems. The findings have demonstrated that good agricultural practices and the presence of natural secondary vegetation favored by the management of small family farms are important factors for hydrobiogeochemical cycling, aquatic ecosystem conservation, soil conservation, and mitigation of trace gases emissions from biomass burning in Amazonian small catchments. Two challenges for watershed service management arise in this context. First, low population densities and the relatively flat landscape mean that a critical mass of downstream beneficiaries of such services - a prerequisite for public intervention is more difficult to identify than in more densely populated mountainous areas. Second, although watershed service providers (farmers) are also to a considerable extent service beneficiaries, conflicts over land and cultural heterogeneities among settlers inhibit local collective action to safeguard the quality of stream water. Including small landholders in carbon payment schemes that compensate for the maintenance of riverbank vegetation would appear to be a cost-effective means to secure watershed services as additional benefits of forest-based mitigation of climate change

Assessing and mapping cultural ecosystem services at community level in the Colombian Amazon

“…The aim of this step was to determine the most common indicators driving the community members in search of a location providing a service. This information gives insight into community preferences and can be useful for more effective sustainable and environmental management and conservation (Silvano et al 2008;Figueiredo et al 2013;Bottazzi et al 2014;Plieninger et al 2015).…”

“…described in Plieninger et al (2013); reaching similar conclusions through the application of different methods has the benefit of enabling validation in addition to providing a different perspective on the data recorded (Creswell 2013); (vi) the spatial analysis is key to visualizing and achieving a better understanding of SPUs as it allows communities to effectively target the sustainable use of ES in the region (Silvano et al 2008;Campbell et al 2012;Figueiredo et al 2013;Bagstad et al 2017;Ramírez-Gómez et al 2017). The benefits of using participatory approaches to enable communities located in marginalized regions, design and develop better practices to manage the ES on which they depend have been corroborated by other studies (Ramírez-Gómez et al 2013;Bottazzi et al 2014;Ives et al 2017).…”

“…This type of influx tends to be linked with a high level of deforestation which usually triggers further migration as people need to Figueiredo et al 2013;Hurd et al 2016). The corregimiento of La Pedrera includes the territories of 13 indigenous communities (excluding those located in La Pedrera town).…”

“…In the case of the Amazon, various studies have sought to develop methods aiming to incorporate the traditional knowledge, which is an integral part of the communities populating the region, enabling a better understanding of the territory and the cultural values that are an integral part of the community's behaviour (Silvano et al 2008;Macía et al 2011;Briggs et al 2013;Figueiredo et al 2013;Bottazzi et al 2014;Cámara-Leret et al 2014;Celentano et al 2014). Studies incorporating community stakeholders' knowledge have also been conducted in Africa (Chalmers and Fabricius 2007;Fagerholm and Käyhkö 2009;Sileshi et al 2009;Fagerholm et al 2012;Schnegg et al 2014) All the aforementioned studies demonstrate that traditional knowledge should be a key component of decision-making.…”

Agricultural Impacts on Hydrobiogeochemical Cycling in the Amazon: Is There Any Solution?

“…Overall, management of smallholder farms can play an important role in hydrobiogeochemical cycling, aquatic ecosystem conservation, soil conservation, and mitigation of trace gases emissions from biomass burning, especially in small catchments. There are clear, positive differences in (1) water quality indicators between traditionally managed and fire-free managed watersheds and (2) between small landholder versus large-scale producer-managed watersheds [26]; there is, therefore, an opportunity to improve watershed service provisions through ecosystem service bundling that can reward Amazonian smallholders. Based on this knowledge, we present in Figure 2 a conceptual model about the factors and processes associated with impacts by small farming on the biogeochemistry of Amazonian watersheds.…”