Risks to carbon storage from land-use change revealed by peat thickness maps of Peru

This work was funded by NERC (grant ref. NE/R000751/1) to I.T.L., A.H., K.H.R., E.T.A.M., C.M.A., T.R.B., G.D. and E.C.D.G.; Leverhulme Trust (grant ref. RPG-2018-306) to K.H.R., L.E.S.C. and C.E.W.; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (grant no. 5439, MonANPeru network) to T.R.B., E.N.H.C. and G.F.; Wildlife Conservation Society to E.N.H.C.; Concytec/British Council/Embajada Británica Lima/Newton Fund (grant ref. 220–2018) to E.N.H.C. and J.D.; Concytec/NERC/Embajada Británica Lima/Newton Fund (grant ref. 001–2019) to E.N.H.C. and N.D.; the governments of the United States (grant no. MTO-069018) and Norway (grant agreement no. QZA-12/0882) to K.H.; and NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship (grant ref no. NE/V018760/1) to E.N.H.C.Tropical peatlands are among the most carbon-dense ecosystems but land-use change has led to the loss of large peatland areas, associated with substantial greenhouse gas emissions. To design effective conservation and restoration policies, maps of the location and carbon storage of tropical peatlands are vital. This is especially so in countries such as Peru where the distribution of its large, hydrologically intact peatlands is poorly known. Here field and remote sensing data support the model development of peatland extent and thickness for lowland Peruvian Amazonia. We estimate a peatland area of 62,714 km2 (5th and 95th confidence interval percentiles of 58,325 and 67,102 km2, respectively) and carbon stock of 5.4 (2.6–10.6) PgC, a value approaching the entire above-ground carbon stock of Peru but contained within just 5% of its land area. Combining the map of peatland extent with national land-cover data we reveal small but growing areas of deforestation and associated CO2 emissions from peat decomposition due to conversion to mining, urban areas and agriculture. The emissions from peatland areas classified as forest in 2000 represent 1–4% of Peruvian CO2 forest emissions between 2000 and 2016. We suggest that bespoke monitoring, protection and sustainable management of tropical peatlands are required to avoid further degradation and CO2 emissions.PostprintPeer reviewe

Effect ofphylogenetic isolation on the richness and composition of herbivoro inscts in exotic plants

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira ([email protected]) on 2016-04-19T14:23:07Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Julio Miguel Grández Rios - 2015.pdf: 691183 bytes, checksum: 9355a2c6be0d96cd9448a56e587ba28c (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira ([email protected]) on 2016-04-19T14:25:56Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Julio Miguel Grández Rios - 2015.pdf: 691183 bytes, checksum: 9355a2c6be0d96cd9448a56e587ba28c (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-19T14:25:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Julio Miguel Grández Rios - 2015.pdf: 691183 bytes, checksum: 9355a2c6be0d96cd9448a56e587ba28c (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-20The replacement of native plants by introduced or invasive exotic plants may have significant impacts on the fauna of herbivorous insects. These impacts can occur both directly, through changes in reproductive success and population size herbivorous insects that consume the exotic plants, and indirectly through changes in the availability of native host plants. This study is divided into two parts. In the first chapter, I evaluated the effect of phylogenetic isolation on the richness and composition of species of herbivorous insects on exotic plants. In addition, I also examined possible differences in response to phylogenetic isolation of exotic plants between herbivore assemblages made up exclusively of endophagous and exophagous insects.In the second chapter, I evaluated the effect of phylogenetic isolation of host plants on the mean specialization of herbivorous insects fauna associated with host plants. In addition,I also analyzed the effect of phylogenetic isolation of host plants differs between native and exotic plants. Taken together, the results of the two chapters exemplify how the richness, composition and specialization of herbivores respond to phylogenetic isolation of their host plants.A substituição de plantas nativas por plantas exóticas invasoras ou introduzidas pode ter impactos significativos sobre a fauna de insetos herbívoros.Este impacto pode ocorrer tanto diretamente, por meio de mudanças no sucesso reprodutivo e no tamanho populacional de insetos herbívoros que consomem as plantas exóticas, quanto indiretamente, através da alteraçãona disponibilidade de plantas hospedeiras nativas. O presente trabalho está dividido em duas partes. No primeiro capítulo, avaliei o efeito do isolamento filogenético sobre a riquezae composição de espécies de insetos herbívoros em plantas exóticas. Além disso, examinei possíveis diferenças na resposta ao isolamento filogenético de plantas exóticas entre assembleias de herbívoros compostas exclusivamente por insetos endófagos einsetos exófagos. No segundo capítulo, avaliei o efeito do isolamento filogenético das plantas hospedeiras sobre a especialização média das faunas de insetos herbívoros associadas às plantas hospedeiras. Além disso, também analisei se o efeito do isolamento filogenético das plantas hospedeiras difere entre as plantas nativas e exóticas. Tomados em conjunto, os resultados dos dois capítulos exemplificam como a riqueza, a composição e a especialização dos insetos herbívoros respondem ao isolamento filogenético de suas plantas hospedeiras

Condiciones físico espaciales, para la implementación de un centro de turismo de aventura en la comunidad de Churuyacu, distrito de Shanao, 2017

La presente investigación titulada "Condiciones físico espaciales, para la implementación de un centro de turismo de aventura en la comunidad de Churuyacu, distrito de Shanao, 2016", tuvo como objetivo principal determinar las condiciones físico espaciales para la práctica del turismo de aventura en la comunidad Churuyacu Distrito de Shanao, así mismo el estudio fue de tipo no experimental, ya que evaluó el fenómeno de cada una de las variables en su contexto natural, por ello se utilizó la técnica de recolección encuesta (cuestionario), a través del cual se elaboró una serie de ítems relacionadas con los indicadores, para posteriormente aplicarlas a la muestra de estudio conformada por 89 turistas que visitan al mes el distrito de Churuyacu por otro lado las condiciones físico espaciales se evaluó mediante la observación , pues se verifico si el lugar cuentan con las condiciones óptimas para la implementación de un centro de turismo de aventura, es así que después de un extenso estudio se obtuvo como resultados que considera que las empresas que brindan servicios turísticos, cumplen con las condiciones adecuadas de infraestructura, ya que estas son confortables, sin embargo la empresa no cuenta con el equipamiento adecuado, además optarían por realizar las siguientes actividades, el canyoning, por otro lado considera que el precio que pago por el servicio, no fue el adecuado. Después de analizar los resultados obtenidos se llegó a las siguientes conclusiones Que los turistas califican como confortables su infraestructura, sin embargo, se ha identificado grandes falencias en los servicios complementarios, ya que el servicio de alojamiento de la zona es pésimo en gran medida

Impacts of Mauritia flexuosa degradation on the carbon stocks of freshwater peatlands in the Pastaza-Marañón river basin of the Peruvian Amazon

Tropical peat swamp forests (PSF) are characterized by high quantities of carbon (C) stored as organic soil deposits due to waterlogged conditions which slows down decomposition. Globally, Peru has one of the largest expanse of tropical peatlands, located primarily within the Pastaza-Marañón river basin in the Northwestern Peru. Peatland forests in Peru are dominated by a palm species—Mauritia flexuosa, and M. flexuosa-dominated forests cover ~ 80% of total peatland area and store ~ 2.3 Pg C. However, hydrologic alterations, land cover change, and anthropogenic disturbances could lead to PSF’s degradation and loss of valuable ecosystem services. Therefore, evaluation of degradation impacts on PSF’s structure, biomass, and overall C stocks could provide an estimate of potential C losses into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. This study was carried out in three regions within Pastaza-Marañón river basin to quantify PSF’s floristic composition and degradation status and total ecosystem C stocks. There was a tremendous range in C stocks (Mg C ha−1) in various ecosystem pools—vegetation (45.6–122.5), down woody debris (2.1–23.1), litter (2.3–7.8), and soil (top 1 m; 109–594). Mean ecosystem C stocks accounting for the top 1 m soil were 400, 570, and 330 Mg C ha−1 in Itaya, Tigre, and Samiria river basins, respectively. Considering the entire soil depth, mean ecosystem C stocks were 670, 1160, and 330 Mg C ha−1 in Itaya, Tigre, and Samiria river basins, respectively. Floristic composition and calcium to Magnesium (Ca/Mg) ratio of soil profile offered evidence of a site undergoing vegetational succession and transitioning from minerotrophic to ombrotrophic system. Degradation ranged from low to high levels of disturbance with no significant difference between regions. Increased degradation tended to decrease vegetation and forest floor C stocks and was significantly correlated to reduced M. flexuosa biomass C stocks. Long-term studies are needed to understand the linkages between M. flexuosa harvest and palm swamp forest C stocks; however, river dynamics are important natural drivers influencing forest succession and transition in this landscape