Mapping services for an ecosystem based management along the Andalusian coastal zone (Spain)

Abstract

The coastal zone is an area where a multitude of physical-natural, social and economic issues converge. The interactions among these elements are accentuated by the demographic concentration that characterises coastal areas all over the world. Coastal areas have the unique characteristic of being located in the connecting space between land and marine areas. The economic activities that take place on the coast require the services provided by terrestrial, intertidal and marine ecosystems for their proper functioning. In consequence, the main objective of this research is to identify and map ecosystem services provided by coastal ecosystems in the region of Andalusia (Spain) in order to move towards an Ecosystem-Based Management of this area.Ecosystem services are obtained from a literature review supported by a participatory process through expert consultation. The results obtained from the participatory process, together with the analysis and mapping of the ecosystems, make it possible to obtain those areas where the diversity of potential ecosystem services is greatest. The results of the research highlight certain ecosystems, such as the intertidal ecosystems, which, although they occupy the smallest surface area, are the ones that offer the greatest services to the population. Therefore, studying ecosystem services in coastal areas in order to move towards an Ecosystem-Based Management must be done from a broad perspective, considering the coastal zone as a complete socio-ecological system.