Abstract
IntroductionCurrent land use in the Federal District, Western Central Brazil, causes problems related to the water supply which are linked to the regulation of ecosystem services (ES). In scope of an Integrated Water Resources Management concept, we further developed the web-based planning support tool GISCAME for the Pipiripau river basin case study.MethodsWe introduced analyses on ecosystem potentials in the raster-based tool to assess, in a spatially explicit manner, the scenario impact on water purification, sediment retention, water retention, and provision of food and fodder in order to identify potential pathways for conserving water resources. To demonstrate the method, we assess ES depending on a number of land use/land cover change (LULCC) scenarios.ResultsWe found that a considerable increase of water purification and sediment retention is difficult to achieve with realistic small scale LULCC, mainly because in areas with a low potential to provide hydrological ES and thus with a high demand for sustainable land use, such as native Savanna (Cerrado) and natural forests (Mata), favorable land uses were often already existing. We observed synergies in the response of regulating hydrological ES to LULCC but at the same time also trade-offs with provision of food and fodder.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that further degradation and loss of Cerrado and Mata must be avoided and their restoration should be promoted in order to safeguard water resources. We suggest that restoration measures should be focused on arable land located at steep slopes near surface waters to effectively increase hydrological ES through the marginal reduction of provision services.
Highlights
Current land use in the Federal District, Western Central Brazil, causes problems related to the water supply which are linked to the regulation of ecosystem services (ES)
The river basin area extends over 215 km2 and is mainly covered by well-drained Ferralsols which are low in nutrients (EMBRAPA, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) 1978)
Using the layers of areas with low ecosystem potential (EP) for hydrological ES as a reference, land use and land cover change (LULCC) scenarios were conducted in areas that bear the greatest potential for positive LULCC impacts
Summary
Current land use in the Federal District, Western Central Brazil, causes problems related to the water supply which are linked to the regulation of ecosystem services (ES). Current land use causes high loads of suspended solids in stream water and subsequent silting of drinking water reservoirs. These processes, leading to the deterioration of (raw) water quality, the loss of some smaller reservoirs, and substantial reductions of the volume of larger reservoirs, threaten the regional water resources and especially the provision of drinking water (Felizola et al 2001; Fortes et al 2007; Lorz et al 2012a). The location of land use and land cover change (LULCC) is highly relevant for the performance of certain ES (Bryan and Crossman 2008; Rounsevell et al 2012)
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