Using ecological infrastructure to comprehensively map ecosystem service demand, flow and capacity for spatial assessment and planning

Abstract

Ecosystem services provide substantial benefits to people, but the underlying ecosystems are under unprecedented pressure, compromising service delivery. Therefore, ecosystem services need to be integrated into conservation and management processes to secure their benefits for current and future generations. A key first step is a robust method to map ecosystem services for spatial planning. We aimed to develop and apply a broadly applicable, flexible and spatially accurate method for comprehensive ecosystem services mapping using Ecological Infrastructure, abbreviated to PROPSER. We evaluated the demand, flow, and capacity of three ecosystem services (sports events, recreation, and coastal protection) along the South African coast using causal relationships, including ecological condition of the EI, and approximated EI performance as a measure of its importance to society. This resulted in a high-resolution map of EI performance per service and a cumulative map of multiple-service performance created by integrating the three single-service maps. Altogether, there were 5127 EI sites, with EI close to urban nodes being most important. Post-hoc tests confirmed the spatial accuracy of the output maps, and the sensitivity of PROPSER to the variables and components of the indicator models. PROSPER is a comprehensive and innovative method for mapping ecosystem services that is flexible and can be widely applied. The outputs from this study have been taken up in a national spatial planning process, with several other applications discussed. We identify seven ways in which PROSPER can be advanced, and encourage further testing and application of our approach.