The Experts below are selected from a list of 360 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Wolfgang J. Junk - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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brazilian wetlands their definition delineation and classification for research Sustainable Management and protection
Aquatic Conservation-marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2014Co-Authors: Wolfgang J. Junk, F. Wittmann, Maria Teresa Fernandez Piedade, Reinaldo Lourival, Patricia Kandus, L D Lacerda, Reinaldo Luiz Bozelli, Francisco Esteves, Nunes C Da Cunha, Leonardo MaltchikAbstract:Although 20% of Brazilian territory is covered by wetlands, wetland inventories are still incomplete. In 1993, Brazil signed the Ramsar Convention but a coherent national policy for the Sustainable Management and protection of wetlands has yet to be established. Major gaps in the definition of a specific wetland policy are twofold: (1) the lack of standardized criteria by which wetlands are defined and delineated that reflects the specific ecological conditions of the country and (2) the lack of a national classification of wetlands that takes into account specific hydrological conditions and respective plant communities. In recent years, efforts have been made at a regional level to improve public awareness of the ecology of Brazilian wetlands, their benefits to society, and the major threats endangering them. Studies have shown that wetlands play a crucial role in the regional hydrological cycle and provide multiple benefits for local populations. Furthermore, Brazilian wetlands contribute significantly to South American biodiversity. Therefore, wetland conservation and Sustainable Management should be given high legislative priority. This article provides a synthesis of the current body of knowledge on the distribution, hydrology, and vegetation cover of Brazilian wetlands. Their definition, delineation, and classification at the national level are proposed in order to establish a scientific basis for discussions on a national wetland policy that mandates the Sustainable Management of Brazil's extremely diverse and complex wetlands. This goal is particularly urgent in the face of the continuing and dramatic deterioration of wetlands resulting from large-scale agro-industrial expansion, and hydroelectric projects as well as the projected impact of global climate change on hydrological cycles.
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The Role of Floodplain Forests in an Integrated Sustainable Management Concept of the Natural Resources of the Central Amazonian Várzea
Amazonian Floodplain Forests, 2011Co-Authors: Wolfgang J. Junk, F. Wittmann, Maria Tf Piedade, Jochen SchongartAbstract:This chapter provides an overview of the use of Amazonian floodplains and makes proposals for their Sustainable Management. Archaeological artifacts show that humans colonized the lower Amazon River floodplain (várzea) about 12,000 years BP. The first Europeans that traveled along the Amazon River described densely populated stretches of river shores. Soon after the arrival of the Europeans, introduced diseases, wars, and slave raids dramatically reduced the numbers of indigenous people and disintegrated their communities. Export-oriented exploitation led to the quick destruction of the large stocks of turtles, manatees, caimans and other wildlife. Today, important uses of the floodplains for fisheries, subsistence agriculture, forestry, and cattle and buffalo ranching are concentrated in the nutrient rich whitewater river floodplains. With an estimated potential of about 900,000 t yr-1, inland fisheries have a large economic potential that is not yet fully exploited. Agriculture is of increasing importance near urban centers. Forestry is still restricted to selective extraction of a few timber species, depleting their stocks. Low density cattle and buffalo ranching are expanding, at a cost to forestry, because ranchers destroy the forest to increase their pasture areas. This also negatively affects fisheries and biodiversity, because forests provide food sources for many commercially important fishes and habitat for many plant and animal species. Within the floodplain, all Management methods are influenced by the annual hydrological cycle and people cope well with it; however, extreme floods and droughts result in serious economic losses and threaten human life. Scientists have proposed several strategies for improving the Management of floodplain resources, such as the multiple-use concept, the concept of participatory Management of fishery resources, and the concept of growth-oriented logging of várzea forests. A new model for the prediction of peak floods and droughts, based on sea-surface temperatures of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, help people to take preventive actions. However, in practice there are still serious deficiencies in the application of scientific knowledge because of lack of cooperation between scientists, politicians, and planners. There are a few implemented projects, such as the reserves for Sustainable Management, but until now experiments in modern, integrated, floodplain adaptive Management are still in their beginnings.
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amazonian floodplain forests ecophysiology biodiversity and Sustainable Management
2010Co-Authors: Wolfgang J. Junk, F. Wittmann, Jochen Schongart, Maria Teresa Fernandez Piedade, Pia ParolinAbstract:Part I - Amazonian Floodplain Forests and the Environment 1. An Introduction to South American Wetland Forests: Distribution, Definitions and General Characterization 2. Development of the Amazon Valley during the Middle to Late Quaternary: Sedimentological and Climatological Observations 3. Remote Sensing of the Distribution and Extent of Wetlands in the Amazon Basin 4. Phytogeography, Species Diversity, Community Structure and Dynamics of Central Amazonian Floodplain Forests Part II - Ecological and Ecophysiological Aspects of Amazonian Floodplain Forests 5. Tree Phenology in Amazonian Floodplain Forests 6. Biochemistry of Amazonian Floodplain trees 7. The Morphology and Anatomy of Tree Roots and their Aeration Strategies 8. Fine Root Systems and Mycorrhizal Associations in Two Central Amazonian Inundation Forests - Igapo and Varzea 9. Morphology and Anatomy of Leaves 10. Gas Exchange and Photosynthesis 11. Sap Flow and Stem Respiration 12. Fruit and Seed Chemistry, Biomass and Dispersal 13. Seed Germination and Seedling Establishment of Amazonian Floodplain Trees 14. Nitrogen Balance of a Floodplain Forest of the Amazon River: the Role of Nitrogen Fixation 15. Genetic Variability, Divergence and Speciation in Trees of Periodically Flooded Forests of the Amazon: a Case Study of Himatanthus sucuuba (SPRUCE) WOODSON 16 .The Importance of Amazonian Floodplain Forests for Animal Biodiversity: Beetles in Canopies of Floodplain and Upland Forests Part III - Sustainable Management of Amazonian Floodplain Forests 17. Wood Anatomy, Tree Ring Structure of the Stem and their Importance for Tropical Dendrochronology. 18. Biomass and Net Primary Production of Central Amazonian Floodplain Forests 19. Use of Amazonian Floodplain Trees 20. Traditional Timber Harvesting in the Central Amazonian Floodplain Forests 21. Growth-Orientated Logging (GOL): The Use of Species Specific Growth Information for Forest Management in Central Amazonian Floodplains Part IV - Discussion and conclusions 22. Protected Areas in the Amazonian Varzea and their Role in its Conservation: the Case of Mamiraua Sustainable Development Reserve (MSDR) 23. The Role of Floodplain Forests in an Integrated Sustainable Management Concept of the Natural Resources of the Central Amazonian Varzea. 24 Ecophysiology, Biodiversity and Sustainable Management of Central Amazonian Floodplain Forests: a Synthesis
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towards a Sustainable Management concept for ecosystem services of the pantanal wetland
Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology, 2008Co-Authors: Wolfgang J. Junk, Karl M Wantzen, Catia Nunes Da Cunha, Pierre Girard, Onelia Carmen Rossetto, Jerry Penha, Eduardo Guimaraes Couto, Michael BeckerAbstract:Abstract Among globally important wetlands, the Pantanal stands out because of it's a history of harmonious coexistence of man and biodiversity. In the recent years, however, severe human impacts have emerged, which are capable of disintegrating Pantanal's natural characteristics. This paper contributes to the development of a Sustainable Management concept considering ecological and socioeconomical demands. Use of natural resources in the highly productive catchment of the tributaries have direct effects on the floodplains of the Pantanal. A careful planning of hydropower plants is needed to maintain (a) some of the tributaries remaining open for fish spawning migration, and (b) the natural flood pulse as the overriding ecological factor. The traditional human population of the Pantanal is threatened by the developments of global change. Their knowledge to use floodplain-specific species is very important for developing Sustainable use strategies. Several positive initiatives are highlighted, including the development of a green seal for Pantanal beef and the re-establishment of gallery forests along tributaries. The Sustainable use of the fish ressources requires a precise analyis of the stock dynamics. For the further development of the Sustainable use, a classification system is needed, which specifies the use potential and conservation demands of the individual habitats.
Karl M Wantzen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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towards a Sustainable Management concept for ecosystem services of the pantanal wetland
Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology, 2008Co-Authors: Wolfgang J. Junk, Karl M Wantzen, Catia Nunes Da Cunha, Pierre Girard, Onelia Carmen Rossetto, Jerry Penha, Eduardo Guimaraes Couto, Michael BeckerAbstract:Abstract Among globally important wetlands, the Pantanal stands out because of it's a history of harmonious coexistence of man and biodiversity. In the recent years, however, severe human impacts have emerged, which are capable of disintegrating Pantanal's natural characteristics. This paper contributes to the development of a Sustainable Management concept considering ecological and socioeconomical demands. Use of natural resources in the highly productive catchment of the tributaries have direct effects on the floodplains of the Pantanal. A careful planning of hydropower plants is needed to maintain (a) some of the tributaries remaining open for fish spawning migration, and (b) the natural flood pulse as the overriding ecological factor. The traditional human population of the Pantanal is threatened by the developments of global change. Their knowledge to use floodplain-specific species is very important for developing Sustainable use strategies. Several positive initiatives are highlighted, including the development of a green seal for Pantanal beef and the re-establishment of gallery forests along tributaries. The Sustainable use of the fish ressources requires a precise analyis of the stock dynamics. For the further development of the Sustainable use, a classification system is needed, which specifies the use potential and conservation demands of the individual habitats.
Matthew D. Wilson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Sustainable Management of tropical small island ecosystems for the optimization of soil natural capital and ecosystem services: a case of a Caribbean soil ecosystem—Aripo savannas Trinidad
Journal of Soils and Sediments, 2017Co-Authors: Melissa A. Atwell, Mark N. Wuddivira, Matthew D. WilsonAbstract:The unSustainable use of soil natural capital and ecosystem services is of global concern due to damage and losses on a worldwide scale. This situation is further compounded in small island developing states (SIDS), such as the Caribbean, where rapid population growth coupled with limited land space accelerates the rate of degradation of soil natural capital. The Aripo savanna is the largest surviving natural savanna in Trinidad with economic and scientific importance. Presently, there are many different land uses and land covers competing for space to the detriment of soil ecosystem services in this savanna. An ecosystem framework approach is needed to guide the development of adaptation strategies to improve the resilience of soil ecosystem for the provisioning of services, especially in the face of climate change. We reviewed the existing literature on soil ecosystem Management in SIDS with particular emphasis on Aripo savanna and attempted to provide a better understanding of soil processes by developing frameworks for assessing tropical small island soil ecosystem services and soil health. In tropical island states, poor soil quality has been associated with indiscriminant land use, creating short-term economic viability. Short-term economic viability is characterized by poor practices, negatively impacting on soil and thus limiting its ability to perform ecosystem services. To improve the resilience of a society, an ecosystem-framework approach becomes necessary. Soil ecosystem health, however, cannot be represented solely by specific land use(s)/land cover(s) (LULC) but by critical descriptors that influence soil quality. This review highlights the importance of an ecosystem framework approach for the Sustainable Management and optimization of soil natural capital and ecosystem services in the Caribbean SIDS.
Michael Becker - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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towards a Sustainable Management concept for ecosystem services of the pantanal wetland
Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology, 2008Co-Authors: Wolfgang J. Junk, Karl M Wantzen, Catia Nunes Da Cunha, Pierre Girard, Onelia Carmen Rossetto, Jerry Penha, Eduardo Guimaraes Couto, Michael BeckerAbstract:Abstract Among globally important wetlands, the Pantanal stands out because of it's a history of harmonious coexistence of man and biodiversity. In the recent years, however, severe human impacts have emerged, which are capable of disintegrating Pantanal's natural characteristics. This paper contributes to the development of a Sustainable Management concept considering ecological and socioeconomical demands. Use of natural resources in the highly productive catchment of the tributaries have direct effects on the floodplains of the Pantanal. A careful planning of hydropower plants is needed to maintain (a) some of the tributaries remaining open for fish spawning migration, and (b) the natural flood pulse as the overriding ecological factor. The traditional human population of the Pantanal is threatened by the developments of global change. Their knowledge to use floodplain-specific species is very important for developing Sustainable use strategies. Several positive initiatives are highlighted, including the development of a green seal for Pantanal beef and the re-establishment of gallery forests along tributaries. The Sustainable use of the fish ressources requires a precise analyis of the stock dynamics. For the further development of the Sustainable use, a classification system is needed, which specifies the use potential and conservation demands of the individual habitats.
Drennan Watson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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challenges to science and society in the Sustainable Management and use of water investigating the role of social learning
Environmental Science & Policy, 2007Co-Authors: Ray Ison, Niels Roling, Drennan WatsonAbstract:Abstract Water catchments are characterised by connectedness, complexity, uncertainty, conflict, multiple stakeholders and thus, multiple perspectives. Catchments are thus unknowable in objective terms although this understanding does not currently form the dominant paradigm for environmental Management and policy development. In situations of this type it is no longer possible to rely only on scientific knowledge for Management and policy prescriptions. “Social learning”, which is built on different paradigmatic and epistemological assumptions, offers managers and policy makers alternative and complementary possibilities. Social learning is central to non-coercion. It is gaining recognition as a potential governance or coordination mechanism in complex natural resource situations such as the fulfilment of the European Water Framework Directive, but its underlying assumptions and successful conduct need to be much better understood. SLIM (social learning for the integrated Management and Sustainable use of water at catchment scale), a European Union, Fifth Framework project assembled a multidisciplinary group of researchers to research social learning in catchments of different type, scale, and socio-economic situation. Social tools and methods were developed from this research which also employed a novel approach to project Management. In this introductory paper the rationale for the project, the project design intentions and realisations, and the case for researching social learning in contexts such as water catchments are described. Some challenges presented by a social learning approach for science (as a form of practice) and society in the Sustainable Management and use of water are raised.