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Climate change is expected to be the primary cause for biodiversity loss and changes in ecosystem services on a global scale, with increased risk of extinction for many plant and animal species. The crucial issue under debate is the impact on the welfare of current and future population, and the role of humans in the exploitation of natural resources. This is of particular importance in Central America where, on one hand, a major share of the world's biodiversity capital is concentrated and, on the other hand, ecological biodiversity loss strongly impacts socio-economic vulnerability.
Climate Change Impacts on Tropical Forests in Central America will address the impacts of climate change on tropical forest ecosystems and related services in this important region, and will assess the projected economic costs if no policy action is taken by the end of the century. This innovative collection utilises both theoretical approaches and empirical results to provide a conceptual framework for an integrated analysis of climate change impacts on forest ecosystems and related economic effects, offering insight into the complex relationship between ecosystem services and benefits to humans. This important contribution to climate change and forestry studies provides invaluable reading for students and scholars in the fields of environmental and ecological economics, environmental science and forestry, natural resource management, agriculture and climate change.
Introduction
Part 1: Tropical Forests and Ecosystem Services in Central America
1. Forest Biomes and Eco-Regions Pablo Imbach, Alejandra Martinez, Diego Tobar
2. Ecosystem Services and their Contribution to Human Well-Being Aline Chiabai, Elena Ojea, Julia Martin-Ortega, Diego Tobar
Part 2: Impacts of Climate Change in Central American Tropical Forests
3. Biophysical Impacts Pablo Imbach, Juan Carlos Zamora Pereira, Lenin Corrales, Claudia Bouroncle
4. Economic Impacts: Water and Recreation Elena Ojea
5. Economic Impacts: Hydro-Energy in Costa Rica Elisa Sainz de Murieta
Part 3: Impacts of Land-use Cahnges in Tropical Biodiversity Hotspots: The Case of the Volcanica Central Talamanca Corridor
6. Land Use Change Modeling and Ecosystem Services Diego Tobar, Christian Francisco Brenes Perez, Alejandra Martinez
7. Cost-Benefit Analysis of Alternative Land-Use Scenarios Helen Ding, Aline Chiabai
8. Ecosystem-based adaptation: Policy and Theory
9. Conclusion Aline Chiabai, Diego Tobar, Pablo Impach
Aline Chiabai is senior researcher at the Basque Centre for Climate Change, BC3, and coordinator of the health research area.
"This is the definitive volume of readings on the climate change and ecosystems services in the forests of Central America. The readings provide viable insight and analysis, and should serve as inspiration for researchers not only interested in this problem but also in conducting studies of climate change impacts on ecosystems in other critical regions of the world."
– Edward B. Barbier, University of Wyoming, USA
"Tropical forests are among the most valuable ecosystems on earth in terms of their biodiversity and their contribution to sustainable human well-being. This book is a timely and valuable addition to the growing literature on tropical forest ecosystem services."
– Robert Costanza, The Australian National University, Australia
"This is a worth reading volume for researchers and policy makers which presents one of the few ecological and economic comprehensive studies of how climate change is affecting ecosystem services. The methodological approach and analysis, combining spatially explicit different types of data within using various models and scenarios, should serve as a model for other critical regions."
– Maria Jose Sanz Sanchez, Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Italy
