ABSTRACT

Mangroves are characteristic ecosystems of the coastal zones of the tropics and subtropics of the world and are considered of great importance, both for global biodiversity and for the livelihoods of local communities due to their provision of important ecosystem services (ES). Although their ecological and social importance is recognised, they are currently under heavy anthropogenic pressure that leads to their progressive degradation and, consequently, a reduced provision of ES. Socio-cultural valuation of ES is increasingly recognised as an approach that can provide important information regarding the perceptions of the communities that can be incorporated into future conservation strategies. In this sense, the objective of the present study was to identify the main ES provided by the mangroves in four communities of La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve (REBIEN, by its Spanish acronym). Using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires we capture the perception regarding the importance of mangroves ecosystem services. Overall, the most highly valued ecosystem services were protection against meteorological phenomena, fishery and climate regulation. The main factors of mangrove degradation perceived were deforestation, channeling of rivers and pollution, which affect local well-being, mainly in their economic income and food security. We argue that the information generated could be useful for decision makers to design policies that can contribute to guarantee the access of communities to environmental resources as well as the preservation of sustainable livelihoods.

摘要

红树林是世界热带和亚热带沿海地区的特色生态系统，由于提供了重要的生态系统服务（ES），因此对于全球生物多样性和当地社区的生计都具有重要意义。尽管人们认识到它们的生态和社会重要性，但它们目前处于沉重的人为压力之下，导致其逐步退化，因此减少了ES的供应。ES的社会文化评估越来越被认为是一种可以提供有关社区观念的重要信息的方法，可以将其纳入未来的保护策略。在这个意义上，本研究的目的是确定La Encrucijada生物圈保护区（REBIEN，西班牙语缩写）的四个社区中红树林提供的主要生态系统。通过使用半结构化访谈和问卷调查，我们获得了对红树林生态系统服务重要性的看法。总体而言，最受重视的生态系统服务是针对气象现象，渔业和气候调节的保护。认为红树林退化的主要因素是森林砍伐，河道疏导和污染，这主要影响其经济收入和粮食安全，影响当地的福祉。