Analysis Of Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Management strategies for the potential and value of mangrove forest ecosystem services in the Panango area of south Bolaang Mongondow regency

The Panango area is an area that has mangrove forests in its coastal areas that are used for ecotourism, fisheries, and environmental conservation. Mangrove forests in the area have the potential and value of important benefits to the surrounding community which has been using them for a long time, but data and information are not yet available, so it is necessary to identify and assess the ecosystem services in the area. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential and value of the benefits of mangrove ecosystem services in the Panango area in terms of provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting functions, and to determine strategies for managing the mangrove forest in the area. This research uses primary data obtained through field observations, namely observation of research objects, completion of questionnaires, and interviews with respondents. Secondary data was obtained from local government data and other data sources relevant to the research. The research data analysis technique was carried out by calculating the total economic value of each mangrove ecosystem service and SWOT analysis to determine mangrove area management strategies. This study concluded that the economic value of the potential and benefits of mangrove forest ecosystem services in the Panango area in total Rp. 26,259,380,092/year consisting of the value of service providers of Rp. 684,300,000/year, the potential for regulatory services as a wave breaker with a benefit value of Rp. 9,705,300,000/10 years, the potential value as a cultural service of Rp. 15,846,000,000/year, and the potential value as a supporting service of Rp. 23,780,092/year. Strategies that can be used in sustainable management of the potential and value of the benefits of mangrove forest ecosystem services in Panango area are through conservation efforts to protect and manage the area by involving joint participation between local governments and communities and other stakeholders.

A cost-benefit analysis of ecosystem services from restoring degraded soils to forest ecosystems in the Sahel

Techniques of degraded ecosystems restoration in the Sahel have largely contributed to slowing down desertification process. However, they are often very costly, requiring important manpower and financial resources. The economic benefits of such cases of land restoration are under-documented, especially in scientific literature. The aim of this study is to estimate the ecosystem benefits (market and non-market, direct and indirect) associated with changes in biodiversity induced by forest and landscape restoration (FLR) interventions in the Sahel, and to compare them with the costs of these interventions. Data has been compiled using individual and group surveys, floristic inventory, and existing literature. Ecosystem services framework has been used to structure the analysis. Financial and economic cost-benefit analysis have been compiled, based on the historical case of the managed Gourga forest (Ouahigouya, North Burkina Faso), to estimate whether FLR brings benefits greater than it costs. The results show that restoration of the site is profitable over the first ten years thanks to farming activities, becoming unprofitable in years 11–45 after farming is completely stopped. This study opens up new prospects for improved design of FLR in the Sahel.

Constructing Ecological Networks Based on Ecosystem Services and Network Analysis in Chongqing, China

Ecological networks in mountainous regions are vital for enhancing ecosystem functionality and ensuring regional ecological stability, alleviating the contradiction between land use and ecological development in rapid urbanization. However, the complexity of mountains and the need to establish a connection between ecosystem services and human well-being present significant challenges in constructing ecological networks. This study proposes an idea that identifies and derives an optimal scenario for ecological networks, integrating insights from ecosystem services and network analysis. The aim of the ecological network is to improve and protect the ecosystem’s stability while better guiding sustainable development in mountainous regions’ urban and rural areas. This study uses qualitative evaluation methods and a graph theory model to obtain the ecological network’s sources and links. The results indicate that (1) 58 important ecological source areas were identified, with a total area of 5746 km2, mainly covered by woodland and water bodies. (2) An optimal and feasible scenario comprising 5 horizontal and 14 longitudinal corridors was established. Corridors rely primarily on the river system and mountains. (3) A total of 5 key ecological function areas and some ecological zones in important urban development areas were identified. Control measures for these ecological lands were proposed to enhance the effectiveness of ecosystem service construction. It can be concluded that identifying and deriving an optimal scenario of ecological networks in mountainous regions from the perspectives of ecosystem services and network analysis is feasible.

Monitoring spatiotemporal changes in land use/land cover and its impacts on ecosystem services in southern Zambia

Ecosystems play a vital role in human well-being, yet the widespread loss of ecosystem services due to human activities, including agricultural expansion and deforestation, remains a significant concern. Despite the wealth of research highlighting the importance of ecosystem conservation in Zambia, a critical gap exists in understanding the interplay between the conservation of ecosystem services and the socio-economic needs of local communities. This study presents a comparative analysis of ecosystem services in two distinct landscapes within southern Zambia: the protected area of Kafue National Park (KNP) and the agricultural landscape of Kalomo district between 2000–2020. Employing a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, we evaluate the impacts of land/use and land cover (LULC) changes on selected ecosystem services, with a particular focus on carbon storage and the habitat quality of the trumpeter hornbill. The results of the comparison indicate that: (1) the Kalomo district has suffered from extensive land conversion, with forest changing to cropland, while KNP was well protected from encroachment, with forest area increasing over time; (2) carbon stocks and the habitat quality of trumpeter hornbills continually decreased in the Kalomo district but improved in KNP; (3) Kalomo district has suffered rapid environmental degradation due to an imbalance between economic development and environmental conservation, while strict enforcement in KNP has preserved ecosystems. The findings underscore the importance of integrated and inclusive land-use planning and natural resource governance for maintaining and enhancing ecosystem services in Zambia. To progress towards landscape management that is both sustainable and equitable, aligning with the objectives of the Global Biodiversity Framework, it is proposed that a comprehensive approach be adopted in the region. This approach should encompass a more thorough consideration of local livelihood requirements, as well as the wider political-economic and social factors at play.

Spatial analysis of cultural ecosystem services in Lublin: Perception of local residents and tourists

Motives: Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) are perceived differently by local residents and tourists. Therefore, an understanding of spatial patterns in CES is important for urban planning.Aim: To determine whether residents and tourists differ in their perceptions of CES groups in Lublin, and whether these perceptions are influenced by gender, age, occupation, and frequency of visits.Results: The relative value of CES groups was ranked in the following descending order of importance: physical, social, cultural, inspirational, and spiritual activities by local residents (n = 138), and inspirational, cultural, spiritual, physical, and social activities by tourists (n = 134). The Wilcoxon test showed that the total and average number of the identified locations was higher among residents than tourists. The chi-square test revealed a difference between the CES categories identified by the local residents (x2 = 265.602, df = 5, p < 0.01) and tourists (x2 = 25.660, df = 5, p < 0.01).

Spatial and temporal changes in ecosystem services value and analysis of driving factors in the Yangtze River Delta Region

Abstract Based on land use classification data for the Yangtze River Delta region in 2000, 2015, and 2020, this study aims to explore the spatial and temporal evolution of ecosystem services value (ESV) in the region. By analyzing the land use structure and its dynamic changes, an ESV model is constructed. Furthermore, the study utilizes a geodetector to analyze the driving factors of ESV in the Yangtze River Delta region. The findings are as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2020, arable land was the predominant land use type in the Yangtze River Delta region. (2) The ESV in the region showed an upward trend followed by a decline from 2000 to 2020. Regulating services and supporting services have always been the core functions of ecosystem services in the region, with hydrological regulation contributing the most. (3) From a spatial perspective, there were significant differences in the spatial distribution of AESV (aggregated ecosystem services value) in the Yangtze River Delta region. The AESV changes in various cities within the region were evident, with a decreasing trend observed in most cities. (4) The sensitivity index of each land use type was less than 1, with forest land exhibiting the highest sensitivity and having the greatest impact on ESV. (5) Geodetector analysis revealed that the AESV in the Yangtze River Delta region is influenced by a combination of regional natural factors, economic factors, and social factors, and the interaction among different driving forces significantly enhances the spatial heterogeneity of AESV in the region.

Novel method for ecosystem services assessment and analysis of road-effect zones

To explore the cumulative ecological effects of roads in ecologically fragile areas, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) tool was applied to assess the spatiotemporal changes in habitat quality, water yield, and soil erosion in road-effect zones of the Western Sichuan Plateau, China. Then, generalized estimating equations were formulated to analyze the impact of synergies among road attributes, climate, topography, land cover, and other factors on ecosystem service changes. The results showed that the habitat quality within the road-effect zones was mostly affected by road grade and structure, and water yield and soil erosion were attributed to the factors of road structure, rainfall, and topography. Roadbed sections had the greatest negative impact on ecosystem services, followed by bridge sections and tunnel sections. Overall, the results of this study address habitat encroachment and soil and water loss in ecologically fragile areas, contributing to knowledge on green infrastructure planning.

Bidecadal analysis of urbanization effects and ecosystem services at Haldwani, Western Himalayas, India

The study addresses the impact of urbanization on fragile ecosystems such as the Western Himalayas. One rapidly growing city in the Himalayan region is Haldwani, Uttarakhand, which has been subject to human encroachment and subsequent loss of ecosystem services. Several environmental parameters such as Nighttime light (NTL), Land Surface Temperatures (LSTs), Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), and forest cover are used in this study based on satellite imagery to allow a bidecadal comparison (between 2000 and 2020) of the status of these parameters for the city based on these parameters shows a decline in ecosystem services. Significant statistical differences for LSTs and AOD can be found in the bidecadal comparison. Furthermore, a strong negative effect was found between LST-NDVI (r = −0.69) and NTL-NDVI (r = −0.58) in earlier and last decade intervals. In addition, long-term multi-spectral satellite imagery also shows a decline in tree cover in the reserved forest. Therefore, focusing on ecosystem services related to tree cover in reserved forest areas, particularly in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) must be part of a broader action plan to address these issues to protect fragile Himalayan ecosystems further.

A 20-year shift in China's sewage sludge heavy metals and its feasibility of nutrient recovery in land use

Recycling resources from wastewater is even more important for developing a more sustainable society. Disposing sewage sludge, which accumulates most pollutants and resources in sewage, is the main challenge in wastewater pollution control and resource utilization. Heavy metals (HMs) are the greatest constraint limiting the application of sewage sludge to land as a sustainable use of this material. We conducted a meta-analysis of the concentrations of HMs in Chinese sewage sludge by combining data from studies published from 2000 to 2019 (N = 8477). Over this period, the reported concentrations of HMs in sewage sludge declined in three stages (a fluctuating stage, a slight decrease stage, and a rapid and stable decrease stage). The results revealed that economic development and environmental policy implementation were the main factors mitigating HM pollution in sewage sludge in China. Moreover, if environmental regulations were strengthened and HM pollution-mitigation strategies were made consistent, such that the proportion of sewage sludge applied to land in China could be increased from 18.6% to 48.0% (the proportion applied to land in the United States), the ecosystem services analysis showed that huge ecological–economic benefits could be realized (3.1 billion Chinese Yuan) and the use of fertilizers could be substantially reduced (the use of nitrogen fertilizers by 8.5% and the use of phosphate fertilizers by 18.1%). This review shows that China should formulate a unified policy and interdepartmental committee for sustainable application of sewage sludge to land and wastewater resource recycling management.

Spatiotemporal ecosystem services: Response to structural changes (A case study in Lahijan, Iran).

Structure and function are the inherent characteristics of each ecosystem providing various services such as clean air, extreme weather mitigation, and mental and physical well-being. The objective of this study is to develop a unified model combining Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services, ecological network (EN), and correlation analysis to investigate changes in ecosystem structure, function, and process. In this context, carbon sequestration, soil reduction, and flood risk mitigation were quantified from 2000 to 2020 and predicted for 2040 using the cellular automata and Markov chain (CA-Markov) model. Finally, correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship over time between the land use (LU) classes and the components of the forest EN that provide and exchange desired ecosystem services (ESs). Thus, the changes in LU in the region in recent years led to significant reduction of ESs in the region as well as changes in the interaction between services. These changes, on the one hand, reduced the area of cores and increased isolated forest patches and, on the other hand, led to the horizontal expansion of cities and agricultural lands. If this trend continues, the decline in services provided by the ecosystem will persist into the future. Consequently, it can be said that structural changes in the ecosystem can lead to changes in the ESs. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1099-1111. © 2023 SETAC.

Profit-efficiency analysis of forest ecosystem services in the southeastern US

Technical, allocative, and profit efficiency of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris. Mill) forests in the southeastern United States, producing ecosystem services such as timber, tree biodiversity, water, and carbon sequestration, were estimated. This study employed a non-parametric two-stage approach involving data envelopment analysis (DEA) and robust linear regression. Utilizing data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program spanning 1977–2015 and covering 2,282 forest plots, most longleaf pine forest plots were technically and profit inefficient in ecosystem service production. The inefficiency in profit appeared more attributable to allocative rather than technical inefficiency. Furthermore, the impact of various exogenous variables on inefficiency scores was assessed through robust linear regression. The findings suggested that forest disturbances under private ownership could reduce technical inefficiency. Surprisingly, contrary to stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) results, the robust regression model, considering geographical factors, disturbance, ownership, management, and time in the presence of outliers/influential observations, indicated that disturbances often increased technical inefficiency. Therefore, forest management strategies aiming to mimic or replicate the effects of forest disturbances might compromise the efficiency of ecosystem service provision.

Integration of Ecosystem Services and Habitats into the Biodiversity Atlas Austria

The Biodiversity Atlas Austria (“Biodiversitäts-Atlas Österreich”) is a data portal to explore Austria’s biodiversity. It is based on the open-source infrastructure of the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and was launched with support of the Living Atlas (LA) community in late 2019 by the Biodiversity Hub of the University of Continuing Education Krems funded by the Government of Lower Austria. At present, it stores more than 8.5 million species occurrence records from various data partners and institutions and is available in both English and German. The Atlas is running on two virtual machines with 4 TB storage and is hosting many of the ALA-developed tools and services such as collectory, biocache, biodiversity information explorer, regions, spatial portal, sensitive data service, lists, images, and dashboard. In the project “ÖKOLEITA” (2021-2023), two new tools were developed within the existing LA infrastructure and will be launched in late 2023 to allow users to deal with ecosystem services and habitat data. The “ecosys”-tool will allow management, visualization, and analysis of ecosystem services by uploading different (raster or vector) TIFF files containing mapped ecosystem services to the geoserver. Users will be able to inspect various ecosystem services at a specific geolocation or compare different geolocations or a transect on their respective ecosystem service potential. The ecosystem service values are presented on the one hand as pictograms, where the value is transformed into quintiles, orienting on the work by Schreder et al. (2018), and as bar chart showing the true values. The “habitat” tool will store and manage datasets of habitat mappings (shapefiles) and allow users to spatially explore those various habitat mappings on a map. Users will be able to search for specific habitats across all datasets or a specific one and get all occurrences of this habitat type returned. Through linkage to the biocache, a click on a specific area reveals the list of species found within that habitat recording, as well as all the species occurrences within that area stored in the database. A “habitat backbone” of the most used habitat classifications in Austria will allow dealing with habitat mappings that use different classifications. Both tools are integrated into the Living Atlases infrastructure and communicate with the other tools and services of the Biodiversity Atlas Austria (Fig. 1). They share a common administration back-end but have different front-ends, where the users can explore the ecosystem services and habitats spatially and in connection with species occurrence records and other contextual information.

Network analysis of water-related ecosystem services in search of solutions for sustainable catchment management: A case study in Sutlej-Beas River systems, India

Hydrological processes and ecosystem interactions are instrumental in sustaining local populations by providing various water-related ecosystem services (ES). Numerous studies gave priority to the theories and methods of building networks that emphasized different stakeholders. However, little study has examined the complex relationships among water-related ES themselves and how relevant human activities affect ES networks. To narrow this gap, in this study we quantified four critical water-related ES (flood mitigation, hydropower production, soil retention, and water conservation), set up six ES network types based on the synergy relationship, and further explored the effect of human activities on these networks. The results showed that among six ES network categories, networks with four fully linked ES occupied a large percentage of 23.20% while the network with one central ES linking two others accounted for the lowest percentage (9.28%). Compared with other ES, soil retention tended to be less centralized within the networks. In addition, land use intensity was found to greatly influence the ES networks compared with other indicators, especially for less complex networks. Our results highlighted the importance of network analysis in searching solutions for sustainable catchment management.

Global analysis of reef ecosystem services reveals synergies, trade-offs and bundles

Millions of people around the world depend on the ecosystem services produced by rocky and coral reef ecosystems, including nutrition, aesthetic value, and coastal protection. Rocky and coral reefs also contribute to critical global and regional processes through the cycling of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon. The increased stress experienced by reefs in the Anthropocene threatens their ability to provide vital ecosystem services. This study investigates bundles of ecosystem services, ecosystem services that occur together, to identify trade-offs and synergies among services produced by coral reefs. To do this, we bring together estimates of seven ecosystem services: productivity, nitrogen cycling, phosphorus cycling, inorganic carbon cycling, aesthetic value, nutritional value, and coastal protection. We use correlations analysis to understand trade-offs and synergies between these seven ecosystem services and cluster analysis to identify clusters of reefs with distinct suites of ecosystem services, or ecosystem service bundles. Our analysis reveals (1) synergies and trade-offs among the seven ecosystem services, and (2) three distinct clusters of reefs, which differ on the basis of their overall and relative delivery of ecosystem services. Differences in service production among the clusters appear to be linked to differences in key ecological traits, including total reef fish biomass and species richness. Similar applications of ecosystem service bundles analysis in other marine and coastal systems could result in improved understanding of the spatial distributions and relationships between marine ecosystem services, which is a key input to marine policy.

Role of landscape change mapping in ecosystem services analysis: a case study of Delhi-NCR region

Role of landscape change mapping in ecosystem services analysis: a case study of Delhi-NCR region

Spatial Heterogeneity analysis of urban forest ecosystem services in Zhengzhou City.

Understanding the spatial distribution of urban forest ecosystem services is essential for urban planners and managers to effectively manage cities and is an essential part of sustainable urban development. Mapping the spatial distribution of urban forest ecosystem services and improving the accuracy of its assessment scale will undoubtedly provide a more accurate reference basis for later management. In this study, we used the i-Tree Eco model and kriging interpolation to quantify and map urban forest ecosystem services and their spatial distribution in Zhengzhou, a city along the lower reaches of the Yellow River in China; analyzed the mapping errors and applicable conditions; and further explored the spatial differences using geographic probes. The i-Tree Eco model estimation results showed that the total carbon storage in the urban forest of Zhengzhou city was 75.7 tons, the annual carbon sequestration was 14.66 tons, the trees and shrubs in the urban area of Zhengzhou city could effectively avoid a total of 307.86 m3 of surface runoff per year, and trees and shrubs removed 411.8 kg/year of air pollution (O3, CO, NO2, PM2.5, PM10, and SO2). The spatial distribution of all urban forest ecosystem services showed significant heterogeneity, but the spatial evaluation precision of different factors varied. GDP and population data showed a negative correlation with ecosystem services, and ecosystem services were abundant in watershed and woodland areas. This study differs from traditional assessments based on regional data due to its improved spatial evaluation accuracy, and the results, discussion, and analysis not only help Zhengzhou's own urban development, but also provide a basis for the future construction and management of other cities, the Central Plains urban agglomeration, and the surrounding larger regions. This will contribute to the enhancement of ecosystem services and thus improve the ecological conditions of the region. This will also have a positive effect on the health of urban residents.

Trade-Off and Synergy Relationships and Spatial Bundle Analysis of Ecosystem Services in the Qilian Mountains

Significant heterogeneity has been observed among different ecosystem services (ES). Understanding the trade-offs and synergies among ES and delineating ecological functional zones is crucial for formulating regional management policies that improve human well-being and sustainably develop and maintain ecosystems. In this study, we used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) and Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach (CASA) models to evaluate the spatial distribution patterns of nine ES (food supply, raw material supply, water resource supply, water connotation, climate regulation, soil conservation, water purification, habitat quality, and entertainment tourism) in the Qilian Mountains from 2000 to 2018. We also investigated the trade-offs and synergistic relationships among ES through Spearman correlation analysis, identified ES hotspots through exploratory spatial data analysis, and identified ES bundles (ESB) using K-means clustering. Our results revealed that water purification and habitat quality remained relatively stable, while food supply, raw material supply, water resource supply, water conservation, climate regulation, soil conservation, and entertainment tourism increased by 1038.83 Yuan·ha−1, 448.21 Yuan·ha−1, 55.45 mm, 7.80 mm, 0.60 tc·ha−1, 40.01 t·ha−1 and 4.82, respectively. High-value areas for water resource supply were mainly concentrated in the high-altitude mountainous area, whereas high-value areas for soil conservation were found in the western and eastern parts of the study area. The low-value areas of water purification were primarily located in the east, while the remaining six services were highly distributed in the east and were less common in the west. Correlation analysis showed that water resource supply, water conservation, and soil conservation exhibited a synergistic relationship in the Qilian Mountains. Moreover, food supply, raw material supply, climate regulation, habitat quality, and entertainment tourism showed synergistic relationships. However, there were trade-offs between food supply and water purification as well as water resource supply, and habitat quality showed a tradeoff with water resource supply, water conservation, and soil conservation. We identified four ESB. The food supply bundle consisted mainly of farmland ecosystems, while the windbreak and sand fixation and ecological coordination bundles were dominant in the Qilian Mountains. Notably, the area of the water conservation bundle increased significantly. Our comprehensive findings on ES and ESB can provide a theoretical foundation for the formulation of ecological management policies and the sustainable development of ecosystems in the Qilian Mountains.

Estimating the nonlinear response of landscape patterns to ecological resilience using a random forest algorithm: Evidence from the Yangtze River Delta

Ecological resilience (ER) is considered a key factor in resolving complex human and natural systems conflicts and managing risk during the period of rapid development. However, the importance of landscape patterns for ER is not given enough attention in previous studies. Therefore, we selected the Yangtze River Delta region as the study area, incorporated landscape patterns into the assessment of ER and proposed the way for identifying ecological sources based on the combination of ecosystem services and landscape patterns. Combining the multidimensional ecological resilience assessment indicators system, we calculated the ER for the Yangtze River Delta region and explored the importance and nonlinear effects of landscape patterns on the ER using a random forest regression model. The results showed that the comparative analysis of ecosystem services and landscape patterns enhanced the scientificity of ecological source identification. We identified 94 ecological sources mainly in the southern of the Yangtze River Delta region, including important mountain ranges and water bodies. In addition, the ER was significantly strengthened by considering the landscape patterns. The random forest regression results indicated the nonlinear relationship between the landscape patterns and the other elements in terms of ER. This study can contribute to a comprehensive and integrated approach to the identification of ecological sources and the evaluation of ER, which can promote the conservation of regional ecological functions.

Spatiotemporal Analysis and Multi-Scenario Prediction of Ecosystem Services Based on Land Use/Cover Change in a Mountain-Watershed Region, China

Land use/cover change (LUCC) accompanied by climate change and human activities will have unpredictable impacts on watershed ecosystems. However, the extent to which these land use changes affect the spatial and temporal distribution of ecosystem services (ESs) in different regions remains unclear. The impact of LUCC on ESs in the Qingjiang Watershed (QJW), an ecologically sensitive area, and LUCC’s role in future ESs under different land use scenarios are crucial to promoting ecological conservation and land use management. This paper assessed water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), carbon storage (CS) and habitat quality (HQ) using the InVEST model, and their responses to LUCC in the QJW from 1990 to 2018 using the geodetector and multiscale geographically weighted regression. We predicted land use patterns using the Logistic–CA–Markov model and their effects on ESs in 2034 under business as usual (BAU), ecological land protection (ELP), arable land protection (ALP) and ecological economic construction (EEC) scenarios. From 1990 to 2018, the area of cropland and woodland decreased by 28.3 and 138.17 km2, respectively, while the built-up land increased by 96.65 km2. The WY increased by 18.92%, while the SC, CS and HQ decreased by 26.94%, 1.05% and 0.4%, respectively. The increase in the arable land area led to a increase in WY, and the decrease in forest land and the increase in construction land led to a decrease in SC, CS and HQ. In addition to being influenced by land use patterns, WY and SC were influenced mainly by meteorological and topographical factors, respectively. In 2034, there was an obvious spatial growth conflict between cropland and construction land, especially in the area centered on Lichuan, Enshi and Yidu counties. Under four scenarios, WY and SC were ranked ALP > BAU > EEC > ELP, while CS and HQ were ranked ELP > EEC > BAU > ALP. Considering the sustainable eco-socio-economic development of the QJW, the EEC scenario can be chosen as a future development plan. These results can indicate how to rationally improve the supply of watershed ESs through land resource allocation, promoting sustainable regional development in mountainous watershed areas.

Assessing Relativeness in the Provision of Urban Ecosystem Services: Better Comparison Methods for Improved Well-Being

In this study, we evaluated alternative methods for comparing the provision of ecosystem services among urban areas, stressing how the choice of comparison method affects the ability to compare the ecosystem service outcomes, in order to improve the management actions in urban green areas, reduce environmental inequality, and ensure satisfactory levels of human well-being. For the analysis, ten spatial indicators were quantified to assess the provision of urban ecosystem services in Barcelona, Spain, and Santiago, Chile. Two comparison methods were applied in both cities to evaluate the differences in their provision scores. The analysis was performed using the Ecosystem Management Decision Support (EMDS) system, a spatially enabled decision support framework for environmental management. The results depicted changes in the values of the provision of ecosystem services depending on the methodological approach applied. When the data were analysed separately for each city, both cities registered a wide range of provision values across the city districts, varying from very low to very high values. However, when the analysis was based on the data for both cities, the provision scores in Santiago decreased, while they increased in Barcelona, showing relativeness and a discrepancy in their provisions, hindering an appropriate planning definition. Our results emphasise the importance of the choice of comparison approach in the analyses of urban ecosystem services and the need for further studies on these comparison methods.