Enhancing Ecosystem Services to Minimize Impact of Climate Variability in a Dry Tropical Forest with Vertisols

Hydrology

JacquesCarvalho Ribeiro Filho¹  JoséBandeira Brasil¹  EuniceMaia de Andrade²  MariaSimas Guerreiro³  HelbaAraújo de Queiroz Palácio⁴ 

[1] Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Campus do Pici, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza CEP 60455-760, Brazil;Departmento de Conservação de Solo e Água, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Rua Francisco Mota, 572, Mossoró CEP 59625-900, Brazil;Faculdade de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Praça 9 Abril, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal;Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Ceará, Rodovia Iguatu-Várzea Alegre, km 5, Iguatu 63503-790, Brazil;

关键词: semi-arid region;    dry tropical forest;    hydrologic processes;   

DOI  :  10.3390/hydrology8010046

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown