Impacts of Hydrological Drying on Carbon Stocks of Aboveground Woody Biomass: Assessing Community and Keystone Palm Mauritia flexuosa L.f. Responses in Cerrado Veredas Wetlands

Abstract

Veredas (palm swamps), hygrophytic formations typical of the Brazilian Cerrado savanna, are threatened by processes of hydrological degradation and land-use change. This study assessed the impact of environmental degradation on carbon stocks in veredas in northern Minas Gerais - Brazil, analyzing the functional role of the palm tree Mauritia flexuosa. Three veredas with distinct degradation levels were analyzed: Peruaçu (highly degraded), Almescla (moderately degraded), and das Pedras (conserved). Vegetation structure, above-ground woody biomass (AGWB), and carbon stocks were estimated based on a floristic inventory and the pantropical allometric model. The results indicate that M. flexuosa presented the highest individual carbon stock (266.11 Mg ha⁻¹), even in degraded areas. However, its density was reduced in the most impacted veredas, evidencing regenerative limitations. The species showed significantly higher biomass and carbon values compared to other trees and palms, reinforcing its importance as a strategic carbon sink in wetland ecosystems. Although the das Pedras vereda exhibited lower M. flexuosa biomass, it achieved the highest community carbon stock due to greater structural diversity and the contribution of other tree species. Thus, it was observed that hydrological degradation compromises the function of veredas as carbon reservoirs, primarily by reducing the dominance of M. flexuosa. This study highlights the need to conserve populations of this species as a strategy for maintaining ecosystem services associated with carbon sequestration.