TY - JOUR
T1 - Challenges and perspectives for the Brazilian semi-arid coast under global environmental changes
AU - Soares, M. O.
AU - Campos, C. C.
AU - Carneiro, P. B.M.
AU - Barroso, H. S.
AU - Marins, R. V.
AU - Teixeira, C. E.P.
AU - Menezes, M. O.B.
AU - Pinheiro, L. S.
AU - Viana, M. B.
AU - Feitosa, C. V.
AU - Sanchéz-Botero, J. I.
AU - Bezerra, L. E.A.
AU - Rocha-Barreira, C. A.
AU - Matthews-Cascon, H.
AU - Matos, F. O.
AU - Gorayeb, A.
AU - Cavalcante, M. S.
AU - Moro, M. F.
AU - Rossi, S.
AU - Belmonte, G.
AU - Melo, V. M.M.
AU - Rosado, Alexandre S.
AU - Ramires, G.
AU - Tavares, T. C.L.
AU - Garcia, T. M.
N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2021-07-09
Acknowledgements: This perspective article outlines the Brazilian Semi-Arid Coast Long Term Ecological Research Project (PELD-CSB) and the first research site on this coastline focusing on the following main scientific question: how do climatic and environmental variability in the semi-arid coast affect organisms, populations, and communities? We thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Research Productivity Fellowship Nos. 307061/2017, 309140/2018-8, 310165/2020-2, and 313518/2020-3), PELD Costa Semiárida do Brasil-CSB (No. 442337/2020-5), CAPES-PRINT, CAPES-PNPD (HSB Fellowship), MCTIC/CNPq 28/2018 – Universal 423628/2018-6, Pronex PR2-0101-00052.01.00/15, INCT AmbTropic, and Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Chief Scientist Program) for their financial support. This is PELD-CSB contribution #2.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Understanding the impacts on the Brazilian semi-arid coast, which is a drought-prone area (>1000 km) in the tropical Atlantic, and how ecosystems survive and adapt to such extreme environments requires socioecological studies to create a theory for conservation. Here, we highlight five main ongoing changes in tropical semi-arid areas, namely (1) the decrease in rainfall rates due to climate change, which alters freshwater flows, alters water residence times, and promotes hypersalinity (>37) in low-inflow estuaries; (2) sea-level rise, groundwater hazards, increased erosion of beaches and nearshore mangroves, and landward mangrove forest expansion due to enhanced saline intrusion along river basins; (3) the decrease in land-ocean fluxes due to silting and closure of sandy bars in estuarine mouths; (4) warming and increased intensity and frequency of extreme events (e.g., heat waves, droughts, and sea swells); and (5) growing eutrophication and hypoxia, loss of vegetation cover and biodiversity due to urbanization, aquaculture (shrimp farming), agriculture, and land-use change, which includes building dams for water supply. The alteration of biogeochemical processes (“Arctic Paradox” hypothesis) and acidification that potentialize the impact of contaminants and nutrients is also highlighted. These impacts have effects on food and water security and multiple trophic levels, which should preferentially be studied through a long-term approach for advancing research. Based on these concerns, we propose key questions that should guide research in the context of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) to support science-based management actions in Brazil and other similar semi-arid areas worldwide.
AB - Understanding the impacts on the Brazilian semi-arid coast, which is a drought-prone area (>1000 km) in the tropical Atlantic, and how ecosystems survive and adapt to such extreme environments requires socioecological studies to create a theory for conservation. Here, we highlight five main ongoing changes in tropical semi-arid areas, namely (1) the decrease in rainfall rates due to climate change, which alters freshwater flows, alters water residence times, and promotes hypersalinity (>37) in low-inflow estuaries; (2) sea-level rise, groundwater hazards, increased erosion of beaches and nearshore mangroves, and landward mangrove forest expansion due to enhanced saline intrusion along river basins; (3) the decrease in land-ocean fluxes due to silting and closure of sandy bars in estuarine mouths; (4) warming and increased intensity and frequency of extreme events (e.g., heat waves, droughts, and sea swells); and (5) growing eutrophication and hypoxia, loss of vegetation cover and biodiversity due to urbanization, aquaculture (shrimp farming), agriculture, and land-use change, which includes building dams for water supply. The alteration of biogeochemical processes (“Arctic Paradox” hypothesis) and acidification that potentialize the impact of contaminants and nutrients is also highlighted. These impacts have effects on food and water security and multiple trophic levels, which should preferentially be studied through a long-term approach for advancing research. Based on these concerns, we propose key questions that should guide research in the context of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) to support science-based management actions in Brazil and other similar semi-arid areas worldwide.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/670079
UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2530064421000523
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85108967130&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pecon.2021.06.001
DO - 10.1016/j.pecon.2021.06.001
M3 - Article
SN - 2530-0644
JO - Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation
JF - Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation
ER -
