On ecosystem dynamics for the conservation of wetlands and forest

Abstract

The chapter provides statistical backgrounds, based on recent research on ecosystem dynamics, for why we should be interested in forest conservation in general and, in particular, why in Chile it can play a tremendously important role. The authors show how a dynamical system (DS) given by a t-score function for some class of monotonic data transformations generates consistent extreme value estimators. The variation of their values increases the uncertainty of a proper assessment of climate change. We experience singular learning of the transitions in ecosystems, and as complexity measures, we will consider both entropy and fractal dimension. The chapter shows applications to wetlands, which are a poster example of biodiversity, endemism, and conservation challenges. It also provides an analysis of the dynamics of methane emissions from Czech wetlands in South Bohemia, as a comparing example. Together, these cases illustrate the complexity of the conservation process (The results obtained will be an integral part of the Chilean project FONDECYT 2015-2019, N1151441: Statistical and mathematical modelling as a knowledge bridge between Society and Ecology Sustainability,” in synergy with the Linz Institute of Technology Project LIT-2016-1-SEE-023: Modeling complex dependencies: how to make strategic multicriterial decisions?.