Atividades antrópicas e a oferta de serviços ecossistêmicos no estuário do rio Curu (estado do Ceará)

Abstract

In the estuary of the Curu River, located on the border of the municipalities of Paracuru and Paraipaba (northwest coast of the State of Ceará), there is an Environmental Protection Area with 881.94 hectares, which provides several benefits to society. These benefits, known as Ecosystem Services (ES), can be classified as cultural, provisioning or regulatory. In the region, conflicting human activities, such as shrimp farming and tourism, contribute to environmental changes that compromise the supply of ES. The objective of this study was to identify the ES offered by the Curu River estuary, as well as evaluate the influence of environmental changes derived from human activities on the ES offered. The identification of anthropogenic activities and ES was conducted out through a bibliographic review and the use of satellite images. Furthermore, the ES classification was based on the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) methodology. The provision of ecosystem services in the Curu River estuary is characterized by the availability of habitats for local biodiversity and the maintenance of environmental conditions (regulatory ES), use of fishing, water and wind resources (provisioning ES), recreational leisure activities and cultural representation of local communities (cultural SE). In the last two decades, the expansion of shrimp farming over mangrove and carnauba areas, which now occupies 726.44 hectares, together with the growth of tourist activities, have compromised the supply of ecosystem services in the Curu River estuary, given the effects on ecosystems, environmental pollution and social conflicts, despite contributing to the income generation and employment in the municipalities of Paracuru and Paraipaba. It is expected that this study will development to the construction of conservation and management actions for the Curu River estuary, ensuring that this ecosystem continues to benefit the surrounding communities as an essential source of food resources, income and other socio-cultural uses.