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Projeto de investigação
Assessment of ecosystem services, biodiversity, and well-being in Portugal
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Using satellite image fusion to evaluate the impact of land use changes on ecosystem services and their economic values
Publication . Shuangao, Wang; Padmanaban, Rajchandar; Mbanze, Aires A.; Silva, João M.N.; Shamsudeen, Mohamed; Cabral, Pedro; Campos, Felipe S.; NOVA School of Business and Economics (NOVA SBE); Information Management Research Center (MagIC) - NOVA Information Management School; NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS); Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
Accelerated land use change is a current challenge for environmental management world-wide. Given the urgent need to incorporate economic and ecological goals in landscape planning, cost-effective conservation strategies are required. In this study, we validated the benefit of fusing imagery from multiple sensors to assess the impact of landscape changes on ecosystem services (ES) and their economic values in the Long County, Shaanxi Province, China. We applied several landscape metrics to assess the local spatial configuration over 15 years (2004–2019) from fused image-ries. Using Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), Landsat-8 Operational Land Im-ager (OLI) and Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System Linear Imaging Self Scanning Sensor 3 (IRS LISS 3) imageries fused for 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019, we reclassified land use/land cover (LULC) changes, through the rotation forest (RF) machine-learning algorithm. We proposed an equivalent monetary metric for estimating the ES values, which also could be used in the whole China. Results showed that agriculture farmland and unused land decreased their spatial distribution over time, with an observed increase on woodland, grassland, water bodies and built-up area. Our findings suggested that the patterns of landscape uniformity and connectivity improved, while the distribution of landscape types stabilized, while the landscape diversity had a slight improvement. The overall ES values increased (4.34%) under a benefit transfer approach, mainly concerning woodland and grassland. A sensitivity analysis showed the selected economic value (EV) was relevant and suitable for the study area associated with our ES for LULC changes. We suggested that changes in landscape patterns affected the ESV trends, while the increases on some LULC classes slightly improved the landscape diversity. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we recommend that local au-thorities and environmental practitioners should balance the economic benefits and ecological gains in different landscapes to achieve a sustainable development from local to regional scales.
Soil erosion changes in Portugal through the sediment delivery ratio model
Publication . Marques, Susana Martins; David, João; Campos, Felipe S.; Cabral, Pedro; NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS); Information Management Research Center (MagIC) - NOVA Information Management School
Soils provide relevant ecosystem functions, important to the preservation of mankind. However, soil degradation, and particularly soil erosion, is endangering the maintenance and existence of these services. This study aims to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of soil erosion by understanding the spatial patterns ofthe sediment retention in mainland Portugal with the support of Corine Land Cover maps from 1990 to 2018. Results highlight the sediment retention levels across administrative boundaries, showing which districts are more susceptible to soil erosion processes. Results further indicate that Coimbra, Leiria and Braga, are facing high levels of potential soil erosion. These findings can be useful to support strategies for more efficient landscape planning regarding soil erosion negative consequences mitigation
Ecological Fever
Publication . Campos, Felipe S.; Lourenço-de-Moraes, Ricardo; Information Management Research Center (MagIC) - NOVA Information Management School; NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS); Frontiers Media
The rapid dissemination of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV−2) has opened up an environmental dilemma—investigating the relationship between the evolutionary history of coronaviruses (CoVs) and the zoonotic spillover in humans to avoid new rapidly evolving pathogens. To guide politicians in health policy decision-making, scientists have an urgent need to explore how cross-species virus transmission can help prevent pandemics (Zhou et al., 2020). The emergence of new epidemic diseases varies among different taxonomic groups, and the human-made change in natural environments causes eco-evolutionary consequences. Therefore, the alteration of this natural role caused by human pressures on wild species, we label as “ecological fever” —a new One Health perspective from ecology to society. Following the new phylogenies of coronavirus proposed by Gorbalenya et al. (2020) and Zhang et al. (2020), we explore the adaptive evolution of coronaviruses across mammal species and its importance for wildlife conservation. Here, we show reconstructed ancestral states of coronaviruses under maximum-likelihood estimations across an entire class of host organisms (i.e., Mammalia). In this opinion paper, we explore the evolution and cross-species transmission of coronaviruses and highlight the need to preserve natural habitats of wildlife in order to prevent future pandemics.
Impact of land cover changes on carbon stock trends in Kenya for spatial implementation of REDD+ policy
Publication . Nyamari, Nicodemus; Cabral, Pedro; NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS); Information Management Research Center (MagIC) - NOVA Information Management School; Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.
Terrestrial carbon stock estimates information has significant importance in planning decisions for global warming and climate change mitigation. This study aimed to estimate and analyze carbon stock changes in Kenya as consequence of land cover change (LCC) using free open data to provide affordable and timely information. Using Random Forest (RF) decision trees, the land cover for 2028 was modelled based on 2004 and 2016 land cover under a Business as Usual (BAU) and an alternative Reducing of Emissions from Forest Degradation and Deforestation (REDD+) scenarios. The InVEST carbon model was used for estimation and valuation of carbon stock between 2004 and 2028. Results show a 16% decline in carbon stock with a loss of 21 billion US$ under the BAU scenario. On a regional scale, results show a gradual decline in carbon stock in the Coastal and Central regions while other regions exhibited mixed results. This trend can be reversed by the implementation of a REDD + scenario with a possible increase of 1.6% between 2016 and 2028, translating to a gain of 1 billion US$. This study contributes to the understanding of spatiotemporal carbon stock changes under different scenarios for effective spatial planning aiming to a balanced natural resource utilization.
The economic and ecological benefits of saving ecosystems to protect services
Publication . Campos, Felipe S.; David, João; Lourenço-de-Moraes, Ricardo; Rodrigues, Pedro; Silva, Bruno; Vieira da Silva, Carina; Cabral, Pedro; Information Management Research Center (MagIC) - NOVA Information Management School; NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS); NOVA School of Business and Economics (NOVA SBE); Elsevier
The concept of Ecosystem Services (ES) defines the nature benefits in an anthropocentric way for sustainable development goals. However, a conservation dilemma arises from the question of how much the ES cost and which ES should be prioritized in effective landscape planning. Thus, we test how the balance of economic and ecological values can be useful for improved conservation outcomes. Under a comprehensive meta-analytical approach, we address the monetary values of ES and incorporate habitat quality maps for setting national conservation targets in mainland Portugal. As a practical pathway to achieve sustainability from local to macro scales, we design an integrative approach showing that prioritization models focused on ES can encompass economic and ecological values in balance with the landscape. We find 72 studies with 167 economic estimates based on biophysical, socio-cultural and environmental features. Our results indicate that ES values in Portugal can represent about 12% of its total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which in turn can ensure key conservation sites for multiple ecosystems. Combining the trade-offs and synergies between ecological and economic benefits of ES, we suggest an integrative strategy to save ecosystems and protect services through cost-effective conservation models. Given the economic and ecological interface of this approach, our findings can be helpful to bridge the gap between environmental economics and conservation science, following three main components – most economic benefits, best habitat quality and less land requirements. This would bring market values on realistic scales, where stakeholders are expecting positive returns.
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Entidade financiadora
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Programa de financiamento
3599-PPCDT
Número da atribuição
PTDC/CTA-AMB/28438/2017