Wet and Wonderful: The World's Largest Wetlands Are Conservation Priorities

Keddy, Paul A.; Fraser, Lauchlan H.; Solomeshch, A. I.; Junk, Wolfgang J.; Campbell, Daniel; Arroyo, Mary T. K.; Alho, Cleber José Rodrigues

doi:10.1525/bio.2009.59.1.8

Cited by 322 publications

(158 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…There are many benefits that wetlands provide for human society, including carbon cycling and climate regulation, the supply of fresh water, maintenance of biodiversity, fish production and tourism (Cox and Campbell, 1997;Keddy et al, 2009). Currently, there is great interest in preserving, maintaining or rehabilitating these ecosystems around the world, due to the understanding of their importance and wildlife for planning overall strategies for climate change mitigation (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005).…”

Section: Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Possible impacts of climate change on wetlands and its biota in the Brazilian Amazon

Barros

Albernaz

2014

Braz. J. Biol.

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Wetlands cover approximately 6% of the Earth´s surface. They are frequently found at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and are strongly dependent on the water cycle. For this reason, wetlands are extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Mangroves and floodplain ecosystems are some of the most important environments for the Amazonian population, as a source of proteins and income, and are thus the types of wetlands chosen for this review. Some of the main consequences that can be predicted from climate change for wetlands are modifications in hydrological regimes, which can cause intense droughts or inundations. A possible reduction in rainfall can cause a decrease of the areas of mangroves and floodplains, with a consequent decline in their species numbers. Conversely, an increase in rainfall would probably cause the substitution of plant species, which would not be able to survive under new conditions for a long period. An elevation in water temperature on the floodplains would cause an increase in frequency and duration of hypoxic or anoxic episodes, which might further lead to a reduction in growth rates or the reproductive success of many species. In mangroves, an increase in water temperature would influence the sea level, causing losses of these environments through coastal erosion processes. Therefore, climate change will likely cause the loss of, or reduction in, Amazonian wetlands and will challenge the adaptability of species, composition and distribution, which will probably have consequences for the human population that depend on them.Keywords: global warming, wetlands, mangrove, floodplains, Amazonia. Possíveis impactos das mudanças climáticas em áreas úmidase sua biota na Amazônia brasileira ResumoAs áreas úmidas cobrem aproximadamente 6% da superfície da terra e são frequentemente encontradas na interface entre ecossistemas terrestres e aquáticos e fortemente dependentes do ciclo da água. Por esta razão são extremamente vulneráveis aos efeitos das alterações do clima. Os ecossistemas de manguezais e várzeas são muito importantes para os seres humanos da Amazônia, porque são de onde eles extraem algumas das principais fontes de proteínas e renda, e, por isso, foram os dois tipos de áreas úmidas escolhidos para esse estudo. Entre as principais consequências das mudanças climáticas previstas para esses ambientes estão as alterações nos regimes hidrológicos, que podem causar grandes secas ou inundações. A possível redução das chuvas pode causar a diminuição das áreas de mangue e várzea, provocando um rápido declínio de suas espécies. Por outro lado, o aumento das chuvas teria como provável consequência a substituição de espécies de plantas, que não seriam capazes de sobreviver sob as novas condições por um longo período de tempo. As principais consequências do aumento da temperatura da água entre as áreas úmidas seria que nas várzeas este parâmetro aumentaria a frequência ou duração dos episódios hipóxicos e/ou anóxicos, podendo causar a redução da taxa de...

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Section: Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Possible impacts of climate change on wetlands and its biota in the Brazilian Amazon

Barros

Albernaz

2014

Braz. J. Biol.

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“…Floodplain forests cover approximately 97 000 km 2 (Parolin et al, 2004) and contain about 20 % of the Amazonian tree species (Naiman et al, 2005). The vast floodplain areas thus represent one of the riches biota on earth, providing several ecosystem services, such as timber and fish production and carbon storage (Keddy et al, 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential effects of climate change on inundation patterns in the Amazon Basin

Langerwisch

Rost

Gerten

et al. 2013

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Floodplain forests, namely the Várzea and Igapó, cover an area of more than 97 000 km 2 . A key factor for their function and diversity is annual flooding. Increasing air temperature and higher precipitation variability caused by climate change are expected to shift the flooding regime during this century, and thereby impact floodplain ecosystems, their biodiversity and riverine ecosystem services. To assess the effects of climate change on the flooding regime, we use the Dynamic Global Vegetation and Hydrology Model LPJmL, enhanced by a scheme that realistically simulates monthly flooded area. Simulation results of discharge and inundation under contemporary conditions compare well against sitelevel measurements and observations. The changes of calculated inundation duration and area under climate change projections from 24 IPCC AR4 climate models differ regionally towards the end of the 21st century. In all, 70 % of the 24 climate projections agree on an increase of flooded area in about one third of the basin. Inundation duration increases dramatically by on average three months in western and around one month in eastern Amazonia. The time of high-and low-water peak shifts by up to three months. Additionally, we find a decrease in the number of extremely dry years and in the probability of the occurrence of three consecutive extremely dry years. The total number of extremely wet years does not change drastically but the probability of three consecutive extremely wet years decreases by up to 30 % in the east and increases by up to 25 % in the west. These changes implicate significant shifts in regional vegetation and climate, and will dramatically alter carbon and water cycles.

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“…Another approach is to examine changes in species richness along environmental gradients, when an assemblage of interacting bat species utilizes the same resource, for example seasonal productivity, which is carried out on smaller spatial scales (Alho, 2008;Drobner et al, 1998;Wilsey and Potvin, 2000). Some environmental factors limit the occurrence and abundance of some species, including habitat heterogeneity, seasonality and conservation status (Alho, 2005;Keddy et al, 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bat-species richness in the Pantanal floodplain and its surrounding uplands

et al. 2011

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We studied the bat fauna of the Pantanal floodplain and its surrounding plateaus in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, based on the scientific collection at Universidade Anhanguera -Uniderp and on the Projeto Morcegos do Pantanal data bank at UFMS, comprising 9,037 captures of 56 species recorded from 1994 to 2007. The Pantanal surveys were carried out in the Nhecolândia, Aquidauana, Miranda, and Paraguai sub-regions; the uplands surveys took place in the Maracaju, Bodoquena, and Urucum formations. Bat specimens were mist-netted over 376 nights in 35 sites, predominantly near fruiting trees, bat shelters, and forest patches. In the floodplain 46 species were recorded (n = 6,292 individuals), and 44 species were found in the uplands (n = 2,745 individuals). Six families were recorded: Phyllostomidae (30 species), Molossidae (12 species), Verpertilionidae (nine species) Noctilionidae (two species), Emballorunidae (two species) and Mormoopidae (one species). The bat fauna was predominantly composed of insectivore (32) and frugivore (15) species. The frugivorous Artibeus planirostris (n = 3,101 individuals) was the commonest species in floodplain and uplands. Other common species were Myotis nigricans (n = 762), Molossus molossus (n = 692), Noctilio albiventris (n = 681), Platyrrhinus lineatus (n = 633), Sturnira lilium (n = 461), Carollia perspicillata (n = 451), Glossophaga soricina (n = 436), Artibeus lituratus (n = 320), and Desmodus rotundus (n = 281). In the floodplain there were three insectivores among the most common species, contrasting with the uplands dominated by the frugivores. The diversity for the 35 sites assembled (H' = 2.5) is comparable to that recorded for tropical forests. The bat fauna presented here represents 34% of the Brazilian bat species, and 62% of species reported for the Upper Paraguay River Basin. Additionally, five species are reported for the first time in Mato Grosso do Sul.Keywords: bats, biodiversity, Chiroptera, habitats, Pantanal. Riqueza de espécies de morcegos no Pantanal e no planalto em seu entorno ResumoEstudamos a fauna de morcegos na planície do Pantanal e nos planaltos de entorno no Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, com base na coleção científica da Universidade Anhanguera -Uniderp e no banco de dados do Projeto Morcegos do Pantanal, UFMS, incluindo 9.037 capturas de 56 espécies, entre 1994 e 2007. Amostragens no Pantanal foram feitas nas sub-regiões da Nhecolândia, Aquidauana, Miranda e Paraguai; no planalto as amostragens foram realizadas nas formações de Maracaju, Bodoquena e Urucum. Espécies de morcegos foram registradas ao longo de 376 noites em 35 sítios, predominantemente com o uso de redes de neblina próximas a árvores frutíferas, abrigos e florestas. Na planície, foram registradas 46 espécies (n = 6.292 indivíduos) e no planalto 44 espécies (n = 2.745 indivíduos). Seis famílias foram encontradas: Phyllostomidae (30 espécies), Molossidae (12 espécies), Verpertilionidae (nove espécies), Noctilionidae (duas espécies), Emballorunidae (duas espécies) e Mormoopidae (uma ...

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Wet and Wonderful: The World's Largest Wetlands Are Conservation Priorities

Cited by 322 publications

References 38 publications

Possible impacts of climate change on wetlands and its biota in the Brazilian Amazon

Possible impacts of climate change on wetlands and its biota in the Brazilian Amazon

Potential effects of climate change on inundation patterns in the Amazon Basin

Bat-species richness in the Pantanal floodplain and its surrounding uplands

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