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ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF SECONDARY FORESTS IN THE MATA ATLÂNTICA OF BRAZIL
Impact/Purpose:
The potential for C storage in secondary forests is limited by productivity of regrowing vegetation and in turn, productivity often is limited by one or more nutrients. Additionally, high species richness may enhance complementary resource use among species (niche complementarity) and thus increase productivity and biomass. This research will focus on how land use history affects the service of C storage and C storage potential as it is influenced by nutrient limitation and species richness effects on productivity.
Description:
Land use history can be an important driver of many ecosystem services. Carbon storage and species richness of primary forests likely will exceed that of secondary forests. Productivity of secondary forests may be limited by nitrogen and/or phosphorus because of nutrient removal in management practices such as fires and harvests. Productivity is expected to increase with increasing diversity due to complementary resource use among species.
Potential to Further Environmental/Human Health Protection
The interactions among these ecosystem services will provide insight into the overall ability of secondary forests to act as a sink for CO2. This work will provide information as to how different land covers might be compensated under reduced emissions from a deforestation and degradation (REDD) framework, which in turn may be a direct benefit to local communities. Incorporating small-scale landowners in this framework, by providing incentives to restore forests and thus enhance the ecosystem services they provide, has the potential to improve the livelihoods of poorer communities in the region.