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The Ecosystem Services Provided by Peatlands in Patagonia

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Ecosystem Services in Patagonia

Part of the book series: Natural and Social Sciences of Patagonia ((NSSP))

Abstract

Peatlands are distinctive wetlands of Patagonia that represent a valuable natural heritage due to its near-pristine conditions and the wide range of the ecosystem services (ES) they provide. The objective of this chapter is to review the state of knowledge about the ES of Patagonian peatlands and the related processes that explain them. Some of these services, such as carbon storage, carbon sink, flood control, and water supply, are outcomes of complex biotic and abiotic interactions that take place in these ecosystems. We identified and classified ES of Patagonian peatlands in nonmonetary terms, following the guidelines of the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) V5.1. Different peatlands may contrast in the quality or essence of respective ES; therefore, the analysis of the ES significance requires information from local studies based on scientific knowledge and field data. We supply evidence obtained from study cases and discuss the accuracy of current estimations of carbon storage in Patagonian peatlands, as well as the peat bogs efficiency on the flood and the erosion control.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

    Rodolfo J. Iturraspe & Adriana B. Urciuolo

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  1. Rodolfo J. Iturraspe
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  2. Adriana B. Urciuolo
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Agricultural Technology Institute, Río Gallegos, Argentina

    Pablo L. Peri

  2. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

    Guillermo Martínez Pastur

  3. Instituto de Economía, Universidad Austral de Chile, Centro de Investigación: Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes, Instituto Milenio en Socio-Ecología Costera, Valdívia, Chile

    Laura Nahuelhual

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Iturraspe, R.J., Urciuolo, A.B. (2021). The Ecosystem Services Provided by Peatlands in Patagonia. In: Peri, P.L., Martínez Pastur, G., Nahuelhual, L. (eds) Ecosystem Services in Patagonia. Natural and Social Sciences of Patagonia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69166-0_8

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