Premium
NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY AS AN INDICATOR OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE EBRO AND MISSISSIPPI DELTAS
Author(s) -
Cardoch Lynette,
Day John W.,
Ibàñez Carles
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
ecological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.864
H-Index - 213
eISSN - 1939-5582
pISSN - 1051-0761
DOI - 10.1890/1051-0761(2002)012[1044:nppaai]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - primary production , productivity , environmental science , wetland , ecosystem , sustainability , delta , ecology , biology , engineering , economics , macroeconomics , aerospace engineering
This paper focuses on the use of net primary productivity (NPP) as a measure of sustainable management in the Mississippi and Ebro deltas. Temporal changes in NPP were quantified for these two deltas based on the aerial coverage of different habitat types. Human appropriation of net primary productivity (HANPP) was used as a measure of direct human use of deltaic productivity. In both deltas, NPP has declined since 1900 due to a high level of HANPP in the Ebro and wetland loss in the Mississippi. In the Mississippi, NPP declined from 2500 g·m −2 ·yr −1 in 1900 to 2000 g·m −2 ·yr −1 in 1990, with a decline to 1750 g·m −2 ·yr −1 predicted by 2050. In the Ebro, total system NPP has increased from 700 to 1000 g·m −2 ·yr −1 due to subsidized agricultural production, mostly of rice. High HANPP of 35% reduces remaining NPP to 600 g·m −2 ·yr −1 . The natural energies and anthropogenic subsidies that maintain natural and human‐modified deltaic ecosystems are analyzed. Elimination or reduction of important pulsing cycles has led to environmental deterioration and higher economic costs and necessitates high levels of subsidies. Incorporating natural energies is the best way to manage deltas sustainably. The use of wetlands for wastewater treatment and river diversions are presented as examples.