Assessing the impacts of land cover change on climate in non-Amazonian South America

Abstract

Non-Amazonian South America has one of the highest rates of conversion of native ecosystems globally. Most of the studies investigating the climate impacts of these changes focus on the Amazon while the possible influences that these changes may have on climate of non-Amazonian regions have received less attention. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the impacts of land use and land cover on the mean and extreme climate of non-Amazonian South America by conducting modelling experiments for pre-clearing (before year 1500) and present (year 2005) land covers. It develops new data sets of changes in land surface characteristics for this period and applies a high resolution regional climate model to simulate the potential impacts of changes in natural vegetation cover.The thesis begins by providing a theoretical framework of land-atmosphere interactions. It then reviews the process of land use and land cover change and subsequent climatic consequences in non-Amazonian South America and identifies those ecosystems most affected and least studied. Nature Geoscience Letters.

Diatom-based paleoenvironmental research: global trends, regional disparities and the evolving role of South America

“…By examining the responses of diatom communities to varying climates and ecosystems, valuable information regarding the complex interplay between microorganisms, lakes, humans, and their surrounding ecosystems can be obtained. Additionally, varied levels of natural and anthropogenic disturbances in South America have critical implications for environmental conservation and management policies within the region (SALAZAR et al 2007, SALAZAR 2016, WU et al 2017, NAGY et al 2019, ZALLES et al 2021. Incorporation paleoecological data into contemporary conservation strategies is crucial, as it allows for a historical perspective on ecosystem changes, enabling policymakers to develop informed and proactive measures, instead of relying on simple solutions.…”