Ecosystem services and vulnerability to climate changes: biophysical and social relationships in the Central Amazon

Abstract

The rising CO2 emissions and the rapid changes in Earth' climate and environmental represent threats for Tropical Forests. The hypothesis Brazilian Amazon "Forest-dieback" predicts, which a warmer temperature and drier conditions will convert the current forests of Amazon basin into savanna landscapes, that in turn can impact the functional diversity, Ecosystem Services (ES) and hence economic aspects, well-being and local natural capital. Therefore, the project proposal aims to evaluate how the ESs provision (vegetation functional diversity, water quality/availability and carbon storage) affected by climate changes, reduce the socio-environmental and economic vulnerability of rural and urban Amazon communities. The analysis are being inquired in two scales: (i) regional, applying the Carbon and Ecosystem Functional-Trait Evaluation model (CAETÊ), concerning to model the vegetation functional diversity and evaluated its relationship to current and forthcoming supplying of ESs and (ii) local, through the survey based on human perspective approach, in Manaus, Itacoatiara and Silves municipalities- in the state of Amazonas. Finally, the results are going to point out quali-quantitative proxies over local socioenvironmental vulnerability in order to draw and anticipate strategies for sustainable management of natural resources and social adaptation actions, considering the public or private funds in institutional and policy agendas (National or International). (AU)