TY - JOUR
T1 - The use of the dspir framework to estimate impacts of Urbanization on mangroves
T2 - A case study from La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
AU - Avila-Flores, Giovanni
AU - Hinojosa-Arango, Gustavo
AU - Juárez-Mancilla, Judith
AU - Arizpe-Covarrubias, Oscar
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 WIT Press.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - The mangrove ecosystem is integrated mainly by halophytes plants that grow on coastal zones of tropical and subtropical regions. This ecosystem provides direct and indirect services for human well-being such as food, wood, climate regulation, natural hazard protection, recreation and aesthetic values. However, academic research indicates that more than 35% of world’s mangrove coverage has been lost in the past three decades. The primary drivers of change of cover lost are aquaculture activities and development of urban infrastructure. The objective of this work was to conduct an exploratory assessment of the impacts of urbanization on mangrove communities located in the city of La Paz, Mexico using the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework (DPSIR). The assessment was complemented by a Delphi survey to incorporate information obtained from experts and stakeholders. The results indicated that the most important pressing factors on mangrove communities were: tourism, urban growth and waste. However, the data on mangrove cover and conservation status show that the overall situation of mangroves of mangroves in La Paz is “barely adequate,” with communities showing positive and adverse conditions. It is estimated that mangrove communities classified as “Vulnerable” and “Endangered” probably do not generate the same ecosystem services as mangroves classified under the “Near Threatened” and “Least Concern” categories. Protection actions as protected areas, environmental laws, and ecological restoration have helped in the conservation of mangroves in the study area. This work concludes that DPSIR framework is a handy tool to analyze in the first instance the conditions of the mangroves and may be replicable in other regions that have this ecosystem, even in places with little scientific research.
AB - The mangrove ecosystem is integrated mainly by halophytes plants that grow on coastal zones of tropical and subtropical regions. This ecosystem provides direct and indirect services for human well-being such as food, wood, climate regulation, natural hazard protection, recreation and aesthetic values. However, academic research indicates that more than 35% of world’s mangrove coverage has been lost in the past three decades. The primary drivers of change of cover lost are aquaculture activities and development of urban infrastructure. The objective of this work was to conduct an exploratory assessment of the impacts of urbanization on mangrove communities located in the city of La Paz, Mexico using the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework (DPSIR). The assessment was complemented by a Delphi survey to incorporate information obtained from experts and stakeholders. The results indicated that the most important pressing factors on mangrove communities were: tourism, urban growth and waste. However, the data on mangrove cover and conservation status show that the overall situation of mangroves of mangroves in La Paz is “barely adequate,” with communities showing positive and adverse conditions. It is estimated that mangrove communities classified as “Vulnerable” and “Endangered” probably do not generate the same ecosystem services as mangroves classified under the “Near Threatened” and “Least Concern” categories. Protection actions as protected areas, environmental laws, and ecological restoration have helped in the conservation of mangroves in the study area. This work concludes that DPSIR framework is a handy tool to analyze in the first instance the conditions of the mangroves and may be replicable in other regions that have this ecosystem, even in places with little scientific research.
KW - Coastal development
KW - Conservation status
KW - DPSIR framework
KW - Drivers of change
KW - Ecosystem services
KW - Sustainability
KW - Wetlands
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85040455031&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2495/SC170401
DO - 10.2495/SC170401
M3 - Artículo
SN - 1746-448X
VL - 223
SP - 459
EP - 469
JO - WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment
JF - WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment
ER -