LAND USE AND LAND COVER DYNAMICS AND POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES ON THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN THE MARAPANIM RIVER WATERSHED, PARÁ, BRAZIL

Resumo

Changes in the dynamics of land use and land cover may significantly alter ecosystem models and processes, leading to changes in the delivery of their ecosystem services. In the Amazon, among the areas most affected by these changes are the forested watersheds, which involve a huge variety of ecosystem services that support human and animal well-being. Given the above, this study aims to analyse the dynamics of deforestation and changes in land use and land cover classes in the Marapanim River watershed, located in the northeast of Pará, to identify the possible consequences in the provision of water-related ecosystem services. The methodology used in this study consists of quantifying and mapping deforestation and land use change using PRODES and MapBiomas data, identifying their impacts through estimates of loss of water-related ecosystem services and analysing the consequences of this process. The results revealed that the accumulated deforestation in the Marapanim River watershed between the years 1988 and 2019 was 1,614.72 km², about 74.84% of its area, resulting from forest conversion for pasture and urban areas in the most cases. In addition, it is concluded that this situation has had effects on water-related ecosystem services, especially regards to regulating services, affecting forest and soil moisture, evapotranspiration, carbon sequestration and temperature increase. Finally, it was found that human occupation close to head watershed areas has contributed to the pollution of its rivers, by preventing their use for human consumption.