Modeling the Influence of Changes in the Edaphic Environment on the Ecosystem Valuation of the Zone of Influence of the Ozogoche and Atillo Lake Systems in Ecuador

Abstract

Ecosystem valuation (EV) of soil resources is essential for understanding changes in environmental services in monetary terms. A lack of this information, which includes economic indices, hinders the optimal management of natural resources. This study evaluated the influence of changes in the edaphic ecosystem on the EV of the zone of influence of the Ozogoche and Atillo lake systems in Ecuador. The classification was carried out through spectral indices and support vector machines (SVMs), and the EV was determined through opportunity costs including environmental service provisioning and indirect use. The land use and EV classification methods were performed efficiently; the degradation trend was constant. The Modified Water Difference Index was the most efficient in the extraction of water bodies, with an accuracy of 91%. The SVMs algorithm, in recognizing coverage in general, had an overall accuracy of 85%. The adjustment made to the SVMs algorithm to improve the selection of hyperparameters was effective; a robust architecture of the algorithm in terms of automation was achieved. Between 2000 and 2020, moorland, water and wetland degraded by 19%, 2% and 3.4%, respectively. In 2000, the EV as a function of avoided CO2 content was USD 8.00 × 106; in 2010 and 2020, it was USD 6.00 × 106 and USD 5.00 × 106, respectively.