PANTANAL
Eduard
o F
ern
andez
July
2015
The Pantanal
The Pantanal is one of the largest wetlands in the world,
presenting great diversity and complexity due to its ecological
relationships bounded to the flood regime. This regime is
maintained by the connectivity between the plain and the
plateau, where the main rivers that supply this biome rise.
Because of its natural resources, the Pantanal presents high
socioeconomic value. However, the current development model
in the region has been resulting in irreversible degradation,
threatening the functionality of this natural system and the
survival of traditional livelihoods. From the definition of the
essential factors for the maintenance of the ecological function of
the Pantanal and its main threats, it is possible to assess its
conservation status and risk of collapse.
The Red List of Ecosystems
The Red List of Ecosystems was developed by the
Commission on Ecosystem Management of IUCN (CEM) to
assess the conservation status of the natural systems in
different scales. The application of the criteria is essential for
evaluating the risk of collapse of the ecosystems and is
considered a powerful tool for long-term conservation planning.
Red List of Ecosystems
Since 2012, IUCN Brazil, PROVITA and the Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM/ IUCN) started mobilizing institutions interested in applying the methodology to provide support for decision making processes related to the conservation of Brazilian biodiversity. A working group was formed, joining representatives of different sectors of society. This group is responsible for developing case studies in several regions of the country, including the Pantanal Wetlands as an important experience for promoting a national Red List of Ecosystems.
Figure 2. Annual average of the water level of the Paraguai River, in Ladário, MT, Brazil (1900-1990)(INEMET).
Figure 1. Illustration of the conceptual model developed during the first international workshop on Red List of Ecosystems held in Costa Rica.
Regional Case Studies in Brazil
IUCN , International Union for Conservation of Nature
Methodology
Thirteen ecosystem units were defined for the assessment of
the Pantanal biome by crossing the vegetation maps of the
Project RADAMBRASIL (1982) and the flood regime data,
according to PADOVANI (2010). The criteria A and B were
applied to quantify the reduction in the geographic distribution
and evaluate the ecosystem loss.
More Information: IUCN Brazil CLN 210, Bloco C, Sala 205, Asa Norte, Brasília-DF, Brazil. CEP: 70.862-530 Ph. +55 61 3547 2588 [email protected] www.iucn.org http://iucnrle.org/ Authors: Dr. Gustavo Manzon Nunes1,2 Dra. Catia Nunes da Cunha1,2
1Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso 2INAU-Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Áreas Úmidas
Preliminary Results
With the application of criteria A and B, we came to the
conclusion that one ecosystem is Critically Endangered, three
are Endangered, three were considered Vulnerable and six
are Least Concern.
IUCN , International Union for Conservation of Nature
ECOSYSTEM CRITERIA CATEGORY
SAVANA ESTÉPICA FLORESTADA NÃO INUNDÁVEL LC
SAVANA ESTÉPICA ARBORIZADA INUNDÁVEL LC
CAMPOS DE MÉDIA INUNDAÇÃO LC
CAMPOS DE BAIXA INUNDAÇÃO LC
FLORESTA ESTACIONAL SEMIDECIDUAL INUNDÁVEL LC
SAVANA FLORESTADA NÃO INUNDÁVEL LC
FLORESTA ESTACIONAL DECIDUAL NÃO INUNDÁVEL B1ai VU
SAVANAS E FLORESTAS INUNDÁVEIS COM DINÂMICA
DE VEGETAÇÃO B1aii VU
SAVANA PARQUE A2b VU
SAVANA ESTÉPICA PARQUE COM PARATUDAL B1ai EN
SAVANA ESTEPICA PARQUE INUNDÁVEL B1ai EN
CAMPOS DE ALTA INUNDAÇÃO A2b ; B1aii EN
CONTATO SAVANA/SAVANA ESTÉPICA B1aii CR
Figure 3. Map of the 13 ecosystems of the Brazilian Pantanal, defined according to the vegetation and flood regime.
13 ECOSYSTEMS ASSESSED
DATA ANALYSIS