Ecosystem services based on land use/cover and socio-economic factors in Lake Burullus, a Ramsar Site, Egypt

Abstract

The ecosystem valuation of Lake Burullus, a coastal lake, has undergone a number of limnological changes as a result of recent land use changes and developments. Lake Burullus is an ecological system that supplies various ecosystem services (ESs) to the local community. The value of these services depends on changes in land use/cover (LU/LC) and socio-economic factors, such as fish production. A supervised classification was applied to show four categories: water, vegetation, fish farms, and service lands. Markov and cellular automata–Markov models were applied to investigate and predict the LU/LC transition. Results showed an increase in bodies of water owing to ongoing developments in Lake Burullus. Furthermore, the removal of aquatic plants reflected a decrease in vegetation. From 2009 to 2013, the fish farm area increased. This has led to an increase in the value of ESs. These changes in the LU/LC positively impacted the ESVs because of the conversion among the different classes. ESVs temporarily varied considerably in Lake Burullus. An increased ecosystem value provides increased opportunities for recreation and ecotourism. From 2009 to 2018, fish production in Lake Burullus increased by ∼34%, an increase of 18,000 tonnes, because of recent developments. Additionally, exploitation was the least in the central parts, towards the fish farm areas. The water pollution indicated that drainage waters are affecting the ESV. The obtained results will be useful in the updated management plan for this important protected area (Ramsar Site).