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Publication
Enhancing ecosystem services to minimize impact of climate variability in a dry tropical forest with vertisols
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Increased droughts and variable rainfall patterns may alter the capacity to provide ecosystem
services, such as biomass production and clean water provision. The impact of these factors
in a semi-arid region, especially on a dry tropical forest with Vertisols and under different land
uses such as regenerated vegetation and thinned vegetation, is still unclear. This study analyzes
hydrologic processes under precipitation pulses and intra-seasonal droughts, and suggests management
practices for ecosystem services improvement. A local 43-year dataset showed a varying
climate with a decrease in number of small events, and an increase in the number of dry days and
in event rainfall intensity, in two catchments with different land use patterns and with Vertisols, a
major soil order in semi-arid tropics. The onset of runoff depends on the expansive characteristics
of the soil rather than land use, as dry spells promote micro-cracks that delay the runoff process.
Forest thinning enhances groundcover development and is a better management practice for biomass
production. This management practice shows a lower water yield when compared to a regenerated
forest, supporting the decision of investing in forest regeneration in order to attend to an increasing
water storage demand.
Description
Keywords
Semi-arid region Dry tropical forest Hydrologic processes
Citation
Guerreiro, M.S.; Maia de Andrade, E.; Palácio, H.A.d.Q.; Brasil, J.B.; Filho, J.C.R. Enhancing Ecosystem Services to Minimize Impact of Climate Variability in a Dry Tropical Forest with Vertisols. Hydrology 2021, 8, 46. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/hydrology8010046
Publisher
MDPI