The state of ecosystems in Portugal:

Results from the Portugal Millennium Ecosystem

Assessment

Henrique Miguel PereiraCentro de Biologia Ambiental

Universidade de Lisboa

EEA, Copenhaga, 12 Out 2010

The Portugal Sub-Global Assessment

Lead by the Center for Environmental Biology (University of Lisbon)

Assessment team composed by 60 scientists from diverse fields: ecology, agricultural science, forest science, economics and social sciences.

Designed to answer the information needs of a group of users

Governmental agencies

Private sector: agriculture and forestry

Civil society: environmental NGO

2003 2004 2005 2009

Ecosystems and case studies

How have Portugal´s ecosystems changed?

In the last 50 years: The economy increased more than 6 times The number of farmers decreased by 60%

and the farmed area decreased by 40% There was forest and agriculture

intensification Rivers underwent major changes due to the

construction of dams and to water pollution The expansion of invasive species

increased in island systems The pressure on coastal systems increased The level of over-fishing and over-hunting

was maintained or increased

Inland waters

Unsuitable areas for farming

Unfarmed areas

Farmland

Forest

What is the condition of biodiversity in Portugal?

In mainland there are more than 3000 vascular plant species, about 400 vertebrate species, and an unknown number of invertebrate species

In Azores and Madeira there are more than 1700 endemisms

30% of terrestrial vertebrates and 70% of freswhater and migratory fish are threatened

Semi-natural forest

Scrubland

Agriculture and forest plantations

What is the state of ecosystem services?What options are available to address problems?

Water provisioning The levels of water provisioning of

Portugal´s ecosystems are sufficient to respond to water demand

The market value of water supply is 2 billion € / year

Water cycle and water quality regulation 40% of the suface waters are in a poor

or very poor state Response options

Greater control of pollution from farming and animal production

Restoration of wetlands and other freshwater ecosystems

Integrated management of water resources

excellent good acceptable poor very poor

What is the state of ecosystem services?What options are available to address problems?

Food provisioning The national food production has a 30%

deficit relative to internal consumption The agriculture and fisheries sectors

represen 3% and 0.3% of the economy Many of the fish stocks are

overexploited Opções de resposta

Certification and valorization of agricultural products

Adoption of more sustainable fish quotas and fishing techniques

Timber and cork provisioning Portugal produces 54% of world´s cork The forest sector accounts for 10% of

the national exports and employs 228 000 workers

Wildfires, the pine nematode and the decrease of forest product prices are the main problems

Carbon sequestration Forest expansion has favoured carbon

sequestration Cork-oak forest captures up to 5 t

CO2/ha/year and pine forest up to 32 t CO2/ha/year

Response options Increase multifunctional oak forests Increase carbon sequestration in

agricultural areas

What is the state of ecosystem services?What options are available to address problems?

Cultural services The demand for rural and natural areas

is growing Willingness to pay of portuguese citizes

to protect the landscape and associated bird fauna reaches 446 €/ha

Hunting tourism generates 21,4 M€/ano There is a degradation of the coastal

landscape due to urbanistic pressure Response options

Payment for ecoystem services to reward good biodiversity managers

Limit construction in the coast

What is the state of ecosystem services?What options are available to address problems?

What are the possible futures?

The problems of the coming decades can only be minimized by a pro-active attituted towards the environment

Assessment team

Alexandra Correia (ISA), Alexandra Nogal (IST), Alexandre Correia (ISA), Alfredo Borba (UA), Américo Mendes (UCP), Ana Paulo (ESAS), Ana Moreira (INIA), Ana Correia (FCUL), António Brito (UM), Carlos Aguiar (IPB), Carlos Carmona Belo (INIA), Carlos Teixeira (IST), Cátia Rosas (CONFAGRI), Cibele Queiroz (FCUL), Cristina Marta (IPB), Eduardo Azevedo (Universidade dos Açores), Elvira Pereira (ISCSP), Emiliana Silva (UA), Eugénio Sequeiro (ESUVG), Francisco Andrade (FCUL), Francisco Fonseca (FCUL), Francisco Dinis (UA), Fuensanta Herrero (CUE), Henrique Cabral (FCUL), Henrique Pereira (FCUL), Humberto Martins (UTAD), Inês Gomes (FCUL), Inocêncio Coelho (INIA), Joana Patrício (UC), João Azevedo (IPB), João Carlos Marques (UC), João Neto (UC), João Santos Pereira (ISA), José Borges (ISA), Luis Ribeiro (IST), Luis Vicente (FCUL), Manuela Magalhães (ISA), Margarida Ferreira (FCUL), Margarida Santos-Reis (FCUL), Maria da Luz Mathias (FCUL), Maria de Fátima Borges (IPIMAR), M. Teresa Ferreira (ISA), Marta Silva Pereira (INIA), Miguel Araújo (MNCN), Nuno Onofre (INIA), Nuno Rodrigues (TerraPrima), Oriana Rodrigues (IST), Orlando Rodrigues (IPB), Patrícia Rodrigues (FCUL), Paulo Borges (UA), Ricardo Teixeira (IST), Rosalina Gabriel (UA), Rui Mota (IST), Rui Rebelo (FCUL), Rute Pinto (UC), Tatiana Valada (IST), Tiago Domingos (IST), Vânia Proença (FCUL)

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