Brazilian wetlands: Their definition, delineation, and classification for research, sustainable management, and protection
Open accessAbstract
Although 20% of Brazilian territory is covered by wetlands, wetland inventories are still incomplete. In 1993, Brazil signed the Ramsar Convention but a coherent national policy for the sustainable management and protection of wetlands has yet to be established. Major gaps in the definition of a specific wetland policy are twofold: (1) the lack of standardized criteria by which wetlands are defined and delineated that reflects the specific ecological conditions of the country and (2) the lack of a national classification of wetlands that takes into account specific hydrological conditions and respective plant communities. In recent years, efforts have been made at a regional level to improve public awareness of the ecology of Brazilian wetlands, their benefits to society, and the major threats endangering them. Studies have shown that wetlands play a crucial role in the regional hydrological cycle and provide multiple benefits for local populations. Furthermore, Brazilian wetlands contribute significantly to South American biodiversity. Therefore, wetland conservation and sustainable management should be given high legislative priority. This article provides a synthesis of the current body of knowledge on the distribution, hydrology, and vegetation cover of Brazilian wetlands. Their definition, delineation, and classification at the national level are proposed in order to establish a scientific basis for discussions on a national wetland policy that mandates the sustainable management of Brazil's extremely diverse and complex wetlands. This goal is particularly urgent in the face of the continuing and dramatic deterioration of wetlands resulting from large‐scale agro‐industrial expansion, and hydroelectric projects as well as the projected impact of global climate change on hydrological cycles. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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There is a current tendency to use only the low-water level expansion of wetlands for their delimitation, or the presence of hydromorphic soils, which underestimates the real size of wetlands, reduces their conservation status, and allows their conversion from natural landforms to human use, specifically in cities.
“We observe a current tendency to use only the low-water level expansion of the wetlands for their delimitation [108], or the presence of hydromorphic soils (e.g., in France, [109]), which underestimates the real size (or even presence) of wetlands, reduces their conservation status, and allows their conversion from natural landforms to human use, specifically in cities.”
From Urban Stream and Wetland Restoration in the Global South—A DPSIR Analysis (2019) · cites this paper as [108]
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Urban Stream and Wetland Restoration in the Global South—A DPSIR Analysis
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- Authors
- Junk, W. J., Piedade, M. T. F., Lourival, R., Wittmann, F., Kandus, P., Lacerda, L. D., Bozelli, R. L., Esteves, F. A., Nunes da Cunha, C., Maltchik, L., Schöngart, J., Schaeffer‐Novelli, Y., & Agostinho, A. A.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (BR)
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (BR)
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (DE)
- National University of General San Martín (AR)
- Universidade Federal do Ceará (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Departamento Botânica e Ecologia Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Cuiabá Brazil
- Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (BR)
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Universidade Estadual de Maringá – Nupélia Maringá Brazil
- Corresponding author
- Wittmann, F.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2013-08-15
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 5-22
- ISSN
- 1052-7613 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-0755
- OpenAlex
- W1951989023
- Cited by
- 580
- References
- 78
- Citations by year
- 2026: 35 · 2025: 40 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 60 · 2022: 61 · 2021: 70 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 86 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 5
- FWCI
- 28.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- Locations
- Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems (publishedVersion)
- LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Scientific Electronic Library Online (São Paulo Research Foundation, Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) (publishedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Ocean Engineering › Wetland Management and Conservation
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity
- Keywords
- wetland definition, wetland delineation, wetland classification, Ramsar Convention, wetland policy, sustainable wetland management, wetland conservation, wetland hydrology, wetland vegetation, hydropower impacts
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