Massive tree mortality from flood pulse disturbances in Amazonian floodplain forests: The collateral effects of hydropower production

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dc.contributor.authorResende, Angélica Faria de
dc.contributor.authorSchöngart, Jochen
dc.contributor.authorStreher, Annia Susin [UNESP]
dc.contributor.authorFerreira-Ferreira, Jefferson [UNESP]
dc.contributor.authorPiedade, Maria Teresa Fernandez
dc.contributor.authorSilva, Thiago Sanna Freire [UNESP]
dc.contributor.institutionCoordination of Environmental Studies (CDAM)
dc.contributor.institutionNational Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA)
dc.contributor.institutionUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
dc.contributor.institutionInstituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá
dc.date.accessioned2019-10-06T15:29:26Z
dc.date.available2019-10-06T15:29:26Z
dc.date.issued2019-04-01
dc.description.abstractLarge dams built for hydroelectric power generation alter the hydrology of rivers, attenuating the flood pulse downstream of the dam and impacting riparian and floodplain ecosystems. The present work mapped black-water floodplain forests (igapó) downstream of the Balbina Reservoir, which was created between 1983 and 1987 by damming the Uatumã River in the Central Amazon basin. We apply remote sensing methods to detect tree mortality resulting from hydrological changes, based on analysis of 56 ALOS/PALSAR synthetic aperture radar images acquired at different flood levels between 2006 and 2011. Our application of object-based image analysis (OBIA) methods and the random forests supervised classification algorithm yielded an overall accuracy of 87.2%. A total of 9800 km 2 of igapó forests were mapped along the entire river downstream of the dam, but forest mortality was only observed below the first 49 km downstream, after the Morena rapids, along an 80-km river stretch. In total, 12% of the floodplain forest died within this stretch. We also detected that 29% of the remaining living igapó forest may be presently undergoing mortality. Furthermore, this large loss does not include the entirety of lost igapó forests downstream of the dam; areas which are now above current maximum flooding heights are no longer floodable and do not show on our mapping but will likely transition over time to upland forest species composition and dynamics, also characteristic of igapó loss. Our results show that floodplain forests are extremely sensitive to long-term downstream hydrological changes and disturbances resulting from the disruption of the natural flood pulse. Brazilian hydropower regulations should require that Amazon dam operations ensure the simulation of the natural flood-pulse, despite losses in energy production, to preserve the integrity of floodplain forest ecosystems and to mitigate impacts for the riverine populations.en
dc.description.affiliationNational Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) Coordination of Environmental Studies (CDAM), Av. André Araújo 2936
dc.description.affiliationNational Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Av. André Araújo 2936
dc.description.affiliationUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas Ecosystem Dynamics Observatory, Avenida 24-A 1515
dc.description.affiliationInstituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Estrada do Bexiga, 2584, Bairro Fonte Boa
dc.description.affiliationUnespUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas Ecosystem Dynamics Observatory, Avenida 24-A 1515
dc.description.sponsorshipConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
dc.format.extent587-598
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.208
dc.identifier.citationScience of the Total Environment, v. 659, p. 587-598.
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.208
dc.identifier.issn1879-1026
dc.identifier.issn0048-9697
dc.identifier.scopus2-s2.0-85059445781
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11449/187228
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.ispartofScience of the Total Environment
dc.rights.accessRightsAcesso aberto
dc.sourceScopus
dc.subjectAmazon
dc.subjectBalbina
dc.subjectBlack water river
dc.subjectFlood pulse
dc.subjectHydropower dam
dc.subjectigapós
dc.subjectObject-based image analysis
dc.subjectPALSAR
dc.subjectSynthetic aperture radar
dc.subjectTree mortality
dc.subjectUatumã River
dc.titleMassive tree mortality from flood pulse disturbances in Amazonian floodplain forests: The collateral effects of hydropower productionen
dc.typeArtigo
unesp.author.orcid0000-0002-9875-1122 0000-0002-9875-1122[1]
unesp.author.orcid0000-0003-2582-4391 0000-0003-2582-4391[4]

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