CO₂ flux index to assess losses of ecosystem services in mangroves impacted by hailstorm in Southeast Brazil

ABSTRACT

Mangroves are tropical ecosystems located at the meeting of continental and oceanic waters. Providers of diverse ecosystem services, these ecosystems are fragile and sensitive to disturbance. Therefore, the general objective of this research was to evaluate, using the CO₂ flux index, changes in the photosynthetic activities of mangroves in the face of the impact of the hail storm that occurred on June 1, 2016, in Aracruz (ES). For this, images between 2016 and 2020 from the MSI sensor coupled to the Sentinel-2 satellite were used. Thematic maps and statistical graphs, generated from sampling points, made it possible to categorize areas according to the intensity of the impact, as well as identify areas that regenerated naturally, and which ones will need intervention to recover. Field validation confirmed the efficiency of the index in recording the consequences of the storm on the photosynthetic activities of the mangroves.

Keywords: coastal ecosystem; vegetation index; mangrove