Economic Evaluation of Posidonia oceanica Ecosystem Services along the Italian Coast

Tania Dolce,Marina Penna,Simone Mellini,Sergio Scanu,Viviana Piermattei,Giorgio Fersini,Marco Marcelli,Francesco Manfredi Frattarelli,Daniele Piazzolla,Giovanni Coppini,Riccardo Valentini,Alice Madonia,Simone Bonamano

doi:10.3390/su14010489

Abstract

This study reports the quantification and analysis of the ecosystem services (ESs) value of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile (1813) meadows in Italy (Liguria, Tuscany, Latium, Campania, Calabria, Apulia, Sardinia, and Sicily regions). The ES evaluation method of P. oceanica meadows applied in this study was obtained from a previous study in which the site-specific approach for the definition of the benefits and services was applied. The distribution of P. oceanica and the ESs economic value have been managed through an open-source geographic information system (QGIS), focusing on five essential ESs: carbon sequestration, bioremediation, oxygen production, erosion protection, and food production. The average value of the ESs obtained on the Italian national scale is €21,660.5 ha−1 yr−1, which is comparable with the values reported in the international literature concerning P. oceanica ESs. The results of this study confirm that the economic evaluation of ESs is an essential tool for the management of the coastal marine environment, especially considering the modularity of the applied approach. The value of the total benefits, considering the entire extension of the national P. oceanica meadows, represents significant value with respect to the Italian gross domestic product, and the individual budgets of the considered Italian regions.

Highlights

Introduction published maps and institutional affilAbout 30% of the Italian population lives along the coast, which has an extension of about 7500 km [1]
Each measurement site the distribution of P. oceanica meadows present inside the sites of community importance and marine special protection areas (SCIs and SPAs, respectively), and the distributions of P. oceanica meadows outside the limits of the sites of of community interest (SCIs) and marine SPAs were considered
(40.44%, 35.83%, and 34.18%, respectively), whereas the minimum value was related to the carbon sequestration (0.22%, 0.11%, and 0.18%, respectively)

Summary

Introduction

Introduction published maps and institutional affilAbout 30% of the Italian population lives along the coast, which has an extension of about 7500 km [1]. The strong anthropogenic pressure favors the highly vulnerable conditions of the coastal marine environment, which is characterized by multiple physical and ecological conditions that can support multiple natural resources uses. In this context, conflicts between various interests that affect both human uses and natural resources arise [2]. The conservation status of a given ecosystem affects both the quality and quantity of its ecosystem services (ESs), which are defined as “The benefits people obtain from ecosystems These include provisioning services such as food, water, timber, and fibre; regulating services that affect climate, floods, disease, wastes, and water quality; cultural services that provide recreational, iations

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