Monitoring ecosystem services of water and biomass production in chronosequences of Atlantic Forest regeneration, in the Serra do Mar and Mantiqueira, by the use of soil invertebrates indicators

Abstract

Forests play a fundamental role in the provision of ecosystem services, including hydrological cycle and climate regulation, biodiversity maintenance, among others. Despite this, large forest areas have been devastated, resulting in environmental, social and economic damage. In view of its importance, several measures for the forests recovery have been taken. Among them, the Mata Atlântica Connection Project stands out, an initiative of the GEF - Global Environmental Facility and the MCTi, in partnership with the São Paulo State Environment Secretariat, focusing on the Atlantic Forest recovery activities in the Paraíba do Sul river, São Paulo basin, to which this proposal is linked. Although the environmental, economic and social value of preserved forests is undeniable, the response of water functioning during a forest regeneration process remains uncertain, and how changes in species composition and vegetation cover influence such ecosystem functions (water use and production). Transpiration studies related to forests in regeneration emphasize that transpiration rates are dependent on the intrinsic hydraulic functional characteristics of the plant species, which normally grow at each stage of forest regeneration. In addition, the evolution in the regeneration stages is also accompanied by the increase of soil invertebrate diversity, which are responsible by the modification and provision of several ecosystem services. Thus, there is a need to understand how the density of vegetation cover and species diversity in different stages of regeneration forest modify these ecosystem functions and, consequently, the water production, as well as the need to generate bioindicators which are easily obtained for monitoring the evolution of ecosystem services in these sites. This information is an important guide for policies related to forest recovery and water resource management. The plan of activities of this fellow is related to the development of the eco-hydrology part of the main project. (AU)