Coastal Land Use in Northeast Brazil: Mangrove Coverage Evolution Over Three Decades

Abstract

It is essential to monitor both the mangrove coverage and the encroachment of anthropogenic activities to assess the evolution of these highly valuable and threatened ecosystems. Using the grid technique, Landsat images of three estuaries in Pernambuco, northeast Brazil, were analyzed to track changes in land use over the past three decades. This study is the first time the grid technique has been used as a precise method to quantify and localize the mangrove coverage changes at local scale. We found that the technique was a synthetical and cost-effective way of observing land-use changes over the study period, and its precision was evident for local-scale study. An increasing trend of mangrove coverage was observed and can be related to the salinization. This increase in salinization is a result of anthropogenic activities and climate change. We also found that differences in geometrical properties influenced the spatiotemporal patterns of mangroves. To mitigate adequately the negative impacts induced by anthropization and climate change, the characteristics of mangrove forest configuration and human activities should therefore both be considered.

Trophic resource partitioning of two snook fish species (Centropomidae) in tropical estuaries in Brazil as evidenced by stable isotope analysis

“…Habitat modification still remains a relevant threat to estuarine fish and especially for tropical ecosystems in developing countries, where population sizes and demand for resources are constantly increasing (Lotze et al, 2006;FAO, 2018). Indeed, over the last decades, estuaries have faced changes to their environmental features (e.g., freshwater flows, mangrove cover levels, water temperatures, M A N U S C R I P T A C C E P T E D ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT sedimentation rates and salinity gradients) due to anthropogenic activities and climate change (Yang, 2015;Pelage et al, 2019). These modifications directly affect the food web dynamics and distribution of snooks species by regulating their accessibility to habitats and the availability of prey (Adams et al, 2009;Araújo et al, 2018;Cianciotto et al, 2019).…”

Distinguishing the Brazilian mangrove species Avicennia germinans and A. schaueriana (Acanthaceae) by elliptic Fourier analysis of leaf shape

“…One of the world's tallest and most extensive mangrove forests is to be found in Brazil's northern littoral region (Kjerfve & Lacerda 1993, Menezes et al 2008, Magris & Barreto 2010, Spalding et al 2010, Pelage et al 2019), composed of the coastlines of the States of Amapá, Pará and Maranhão. The Rio Parnaíba delta, where the present study was carried out, includes part of the littoral of eastern Maranhão as well as Piauí and marks the boundary between the northern (macrotidal) and northeastern (mesotidal) coastal eco‐regions of Brazil (Maia et al 2005, Magris & Barreto 2010).…”

Length–weight relationships comparison between juveniles and adults of fish species from the mangroves of south Brazil

“…Mangroves are systems known to provide resources for adjacent ecosystems, and serve as the major exporter of matter and energy to the marine system, sustaining fisheries stocks by carbon provision (Odum & Heald, 1975;Bouillon et al, 2008;Twilley & Rivera-Monroy, 2009;Taylor, Gaston, & Raoult, 2018). Moreover, many species of economically important fishes and crustaceans use these areas as shelter, nursery and/or feeding areas (McLusky, 1990;Haimovici & Cardoso, 2017;Pelage, Domalain, Lira, Travassos, & Frédou, 2019;Taylor et al, 2018). Furthermore, the mangroves are used by many artisanal fisheries, including oyster, mussel and crab collection.…”

“…Juveniles of fishes commonly use mangrove areas (McLusky, 1990;Haimovici & Ca rdoso, 2017;Pelage et al, 2019;Taylor et al, 2018), but some biological parameters for this life stage are missing in the literature since the majority of research on growth estimations, for example, are focused on adults (Morato et al, 2001). Length-weight relationship (LWR) is a species-specific biological index that is easy to obtain, and is very important for obtaining insights about population growth, reproduction, and health condition (Le Cren, 1951;Petrakis & Stergiou, 1995;Possamai, Zanlorenzi, Machado , & Fávaro, 2019).…”