Abstract
This article analyzes the process of forest fragmentation of a floodplain landscape of the Lower Amazon over a 30-year period and its implications for the biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services to the riverine population. To this end, we created a multi-temporal forest cover map based on Landsat images, and then analyzed the fragmentation dynamics through landscape metrics. From the analyses of the landscape and bibliographic information, we made inferences regarding the potential impacts of fragmentation on the biodiversity of trees, birds, mammals and insects. Subsequently, we used data on the local populations’ environmental perception to assess whether the inferred impacts on biodiversity are perceived by these populations and whether the ecosystem services related to the biodiversity of the addressed groups are compromised. The results show a 70% reduction of the forest habitat as well as important changes in the landscape structure that constitute a high degree of forest fragmentation. The perceived landscape alterations indicate that there is great potential for compromise of the biodiversity of trees, birds, mammals and insects. The field interviews corroborate the inferred impacts on biodiversity and indicate that the ecosystem services of the local communities have been compromised. More than 95% of the communities report a decreased variety and/or abundance of animal and plant species, 46% report a decrease in agricultural productivity, and 19% confirm a higher incidence of pests during the last 30 years. The present study provides evidence of an accelerated process of degradation of the floodplain forests of the Lower Amazon and indicate substantial compromise of the ecosystem services provision to the riverine population in recent decades, including reductions of food resources (animals and plants), fire wood, raw material and medicine, as well as lower agricultural productivity due to probable lack of pollination, impoverishment of the soil and an increase of pests.
Highlights
The human being depends on a wide variety of ecosystem services (ES) for its survival and well-being
Time changes on total forest cover and on landscape metrics are explained by the successive economic cycles of the Amazon floodplain
The present study provides evidence of the accelerated process of degradation of the floodplain forest of the Lower Amazon, and reinforces the importance of the integrity of floodplain forest ecosystem for the maintenance of biodiversity and for the provision of ES to the riverine populations
Summary
The human being depends on a wide variety of ecosystem services (ES) for its survival and well-being. Ecosystems are sources of indispensable resources such as food and water, and they provide other important services such as pollination, erosion control, and air and water purification, among others [1,2]. Many of these services have supported the growing demands of modern societies. Despite representing a small fraction of the Amazon (
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