Ecosystem Services Matrix Research Articles

Mapping the Demand for Ecosystem Services in Human-Dominated Topical Forest of Sabah, Malaysia

Mapping the demand for ecosystem services (ES) is a profoundly debated research topic that needs to be investigated further to overcome spatial discrepancies between supply and demand in the literature. This study proposes a holistic approach to valuing ES, which is demanded by local people living adjacent to Sabah’s protected area in the southwestern part of Sabah, Malaysia. To assess the local people's demand for ecosystem services, we applied the 'ES Matrix Assessment' method. Timber, global climate regulation, recreation, and ecotourism are selected to illustrate the changes in ES demand patterns reported in the Klias Peninsula region. To identify the ES required by local people based on land-cover type, we used a weighted arithmetic mean approach. Then, using multiple regressions, we identified socio-demographic characteristics that influence demand for ES obtained from the Klias Peninsula's tropical forest. The 6-point Likert scale results showed that timber received medium (3) to highly relevant demand (4) among local people in the forest ecosystem, while climate regulation demand was the most highly relevant demand (5) in the forest ecosystem, and recreation and ecotourism are highly demanded in the forest ecosystem and water-based area. Overall, ethnicity, source(s) of income, distance from the protected area, length of residence, and education level have influenced the population's perception of ecosystem service demand in peat swamp forest, mangrove, and forest land, and these factors are statistically significant at the 1% to 5% levels. Our approach possesses the advantage of being intuitively straightforward, making it easy to convey to stakeholders and decision-makers across various ecosystem service (ES) applications. Therefore, our approach, while relatively simple, remains realistic and easy to apply, effectively raising awareness about the utility of the ecosystem services concept for stakeholders and policymakers.

Matrix-based assessment of spatial correlations between marine uses and ecosystem service supply in German marine areas

Marine ecosystems are highly dynamic and complex and contribute immensely to human well-being. Spatiotemporal overlaps of marine uses and human activities are constantly pressuring ecosystems, and that in turn impacts the supply quantity and quality of various ecosystem services (ES). This study is the first attempt to use the ES matrix to link marine uses and the capacity to supply ES. Combining expert- and literature-based evaluations, we assessed the relationships of twelve marine uses and five selected ecosystem services in the German North and Baltic Sea and mapped their spatial distribution. Despite a limited data availability and a higher need for simplification, the matrix approach proved to be applicable for the marine realm. Areas used for tourism and those that provide coastal safeguarding show high values of ES supply in comparison to areas used for sediment extraction and areas previously used as ammunition dumping areas. Nature conservation areas tend to have the highest capacity to supply ES. Differences in the ES supply pattern between the North Sea and Baltic Sea were identified. The results show the influence of anthropogenic activities on the spatial distribution of ES supply and can support future marine planning.

Ecosystem services balance and its influencing factors detection in China: A case study in Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomerations

Rapid urbanization in China’s urban agglomerations has severely disrupted the relationship between supply and demand for ecosystem services (ESs). Exploring the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of ESs balance and its driving mechanisms is crucial for the high-quality development of urban agglomerations. However, few studies have explored the pattern of ESs balance and its driving mechanisms at multiple scales in urban agglomerations, which constrains the formulation of regional ecological protection and land use policies. In this study, we attempted to characterize the ESs balance pattern and its spatio-temporal variation from 2000 to 2020 at multiple scales in the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomerations (CCUA), using ESs matrix and hotspot analysis tools. We then introduced the optimal parametric geographic detector to detect the formation mechanism of the spatial differentiation pattern of ESs balance. The results show that the overall ESs supply index for CCUA was greater than the demand index. The ESs were in short supply in Chengdu and Chongqing. The pattern of ESs balance had significant scale dependence. The hot spots of the ESs balance index were mainly in the western, southern, and eastern mountainous regions, while the cold spots were concentrated in urban areas of Chengdu and Chongqing, with significant differences in characteristics at different scales. The spatial distribution of the ESs balance was mainly affected by the forest land proportion, slope, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), elevation, cultivated land proportion, and temperature. The interaction of natural, land use, and socio-economic factors significantly enhanced the spatial differentiation of ESs balance. The interaction of different types of factors highlights the importance of topography, NDVI, cultivated land, forest land, and population. The results of this study can provide scientific references for the sustainable management of ESs and the construction of ecological civilization in CCUA.

Landscape’s capacity to supply ecosystem service: Mapping and assessment for Kulik forest (Raiganj bird sanctuary), India

Exploring the tradeoff between the supply of ecosystem service (ES) has emerged as one of the important research topics. Mapping and assessment is essential to mitigate the mismatches between the supply of ES in contemporary research ES studies. Therefore, assessing the supply of ES based on the LULC approach is essential to formulate effective land use planning strategies to achieve sustainable ES management. This study aims to assess the supply capacities of ESs provided by a forest landscape (Asia’s one of the largest bird sanctuaries) located in Raiganj Urban Agglomeration (RUA), Eastern India. This study used LULC based ES matrix model to assess the forest landscape capacities to supply 12 ES (10 provisioning ES and 2 cultural ES). ES supply index (ESSI) and ES demand index (ESDI) were also developed to quantify the role of ES to supply and demand and the discrepancy between supply and demand of ES. The results showed that forest cover areas, built-up areas and water bodies increased by 2.21% (with an annual growth rate of +0.76%), 236.48% (with annual growth of +12.42%) and 29.56% (with an annual growth rate of +1.35%) during 1990–2019, respectively. A relatively higher supply of ES was reported from cultural ES (1.30 with the highest score from the forest), followed by provisioning ES (0.49 with the highest score from the forest). As per the result of ESSI, the highest value was documented from forest cover (0.318), followed by water bodies (0.182) and agricultural land (0.136). On the other hand, in the case of ESDI, the highest ESDI was reported from settlement areas (0.545), followed by water bodies (0.45), forest cover area (0.364), and agricultural land (0.273). Thus, relatively higher discrepancies were observed from the settlement (−0.594), followed by water bodies (−0.272), agricultural land (−0.136), and forest cover (−0.045). The findings will undoubtedly provide insights to enhance forest sustainability in the study area and elsewhere.

Challenges Entailed in Applying Ecosystem Services Supply and Demand Mapping Approaches: A Practice Report

The Ecosystem Services (ES) concept has been acknowledged by scientists, policy-makers and practitioners to have the potential to support sustainable policy- and land-use decision-making. Therefore, a growing number of research activities are investigating the integration potential of the ES concept into real-world policy- and decision-making processes. These research activities are often confronted with conceptual challenges and methodological obstacles when applying different ES mapping approaches. This study is reporting those challenges encountered during a research project in Germany. In this research project, two urban regions, Rostock and Munich, were selected as case-study areas. In both urban regions, dynamic urbanisation processes occur across the urban administrative boundaries and threaten the supply of multiple ES in the periurban landscapes. The research project invited local stakeholders from the two urban regions to workshops and online meetings to discuss ES-related topics. For those events, maps visualising the spatial patterns of multiple ES were needed for communication and awareness-raising of the ES concept. We chose commonly used and relatively easy-to-apply mapping methods such as: (1) expert-based ES matrix approach, (2) simple GIS mapping with proxy indicators and data, and (3) simple ES models such as InVEST. We encountered several challenges during the mapping processes: The expert-based matrix approach provided valuable results for ES supply, but had limitations in assessing expert estimates for ES demand. Alongside other factors, evolving barriers related to the conceptual complexity of ES demand. Data unavailability/inaccessibility resulted in difficulties mapping all selected ES with proxy indicators at the targeted regional scale. So far, only a few individual ES can be modelled with InVEST models. Despite these challenges, the resulting maps were helpful for communication with local stakeholders. The discussions with stakeholders provided valuable insights into the future needs for ES research and identified existing barriers and challenges. We want to summarise and share our experiences and provide recommendations for future research on mapping ES supply and demand in urban regions.

Spatial assessment of ecosystem services provisioning changes in a forest-dominated protected area in NE Turkey.

Forested landscapes offer high provisioning capacities for many ecosystem services (ES), yet their capabilities may change in time due to multifaceted ES drivers. Therefore, assessing the changes in individual ES is critical for ecosystem-based management. This study analyzes the spatio-temporal changes in ES provided by a forest-dominated protected area in NE, Turkey. To this end, 18 ES were quantified and mapped using the ES matrix approach for 1985 and 2021. Then, the status of the ES and potential drivers of landscape changes were revealed through the assessment of demographic and management structure changes. The results showed that the multiple ES provisioning capacity of the landscape increased by 7% over 35years. The capacities for "crops" and "livestock" ES decreased for the same period. The most prominent ES were "wild foods," "erosion regulation," and "knowledge systems." Spatially, ES hotspots accumulated in the northern parts and the core zone of the protected area. The most significant changes occurred in the lowlands, mostly composed of degraded forests and coppices as of 1985 after their transformation into productive forests. The spatio-temporal changes in many ES can be attributed to the declaration of the landscape as a protected area in 1994. The removal of anthropogenic pressure and the impact of conservation management can be evaluated as the main drivers for the positive changes in the total ES capacity. Thus, sound policy structures and effective conservation strategies should be further encouraged for increasing protected areas' capacities to provide the large array of ES.

A methodology to evaluate the implementation of ecohydrology solutions at the Ecohydrology demonstration sites: The Guadiana case study

The Ecohydrology program of UNESCO established demonstration sites around the world where the ecohydrologic techniques are demonstrated to disseminate the concept and by learning from visualization of real in situ experiments and examples. To analyse the impact of applying ecohydrological solutions at the demonstration sites (eg. use of bivalves as filter feeders, phytoremediation or managing freshwater pulses), we propose to use ecosystem service indicators selected by expert judgment and literature. The ecosystem services (ES) concept provides a recognizable and easy way to evaluate the changes on the ecosystem, by measuring the improvement or degradation of the services that are provided. The proposed ES indicators table allows the evaluation of relevant ecosystem services, for all demosites by comparing the following three temporal situations: 1- before the impact occurred, 2 - after it occurred but without any restoration measure being implemented and; 3- after applying ecohydrology restoration solutions. The proposed Ecosystem services matrix was applied to the Guadiana estuary and adjacent coastal area demosite, in the south east of Portugal, based on extensive research on applying ecohydrology solutions at the site and expert judgement. Results show that the application of the Ecosystem Services (ES) matrix allows to understand the benefits of applying the ecohydrology approach, as it helps defining services and areas where more effort in recuperation is needed.

Global relative ecosystem service budget mapping using the Google Earth Engine and land cover datasets

Ecosystem service mapping (ESM) studies are receiving increasing attention due to the imbalance between the supply of and demand for ecosystem services (ES). Global scale ESM is still scarce, but the high computing power of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform significantly increases the efficiency. Based on global-scale land cover datasets and the GEE, an ES matrix model based-expert is constructed in this paper to map the ES supply, demand, and relative budgets. The net primary productivity (NPP), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), nighttime light (NTL), and world population (Pop) were acquired, and the NPP and EVI and the NTL and Pop datasets were used to revise the supply of and demand for ESs, respectively. We discovered that the ES supply capacity exhibits a double-peaked distribution with latitude, and the peaks are located at the equator and 50° N. The global ESs have a high spatial heterogeneity and the global supply of ESs is 2.405 times higher than the demand; however, the demand exhibits an increasing trend of about 3.36% per decade, and only southern Asia has more ES demand than supply. The imbalance between the ES supply and demand produced a push-pull effect, that is, it forced humans to move closer to the ES surplus regions (ESSRs) and farther away from the ES deficit regions (ESDRs), and the destruction of the ecological environment promoted this phenomenon. The global terrestrial area is divided into eight ES sub-regions, and targeted land management, urban planning, and environmental remediation policies are proposed.

基于土地利用/覆被变化的伊河流域生态系统服务供需风险时空演变

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 基于土地利用/覆被变化的伊河流域生态系统服务供需风险时空演变 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202102280551 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金（41901259）；河南科技智库调研课题项目（HNKJZK-2021-06B） Spatio-temporal evolution of the supply and demand risk of ecosystem services in the Yihe River Basin based on LUCC Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:生态系统服务的供需矛盾造成土地利用方式不合理，引发各种生态环境问题，制约和影响流域可持续发展和居民福祉提升，加强生态系统服务供需关系的研究具有重大意义。以具有"山地-丘陵-平原"景观的河南省伊河流域为研究区，首先利用基于土地利用的生态系统服务矩阵对生态系统服务的供给与需求进行制图，分析生态系统服务供需的时空变化；其次，结合供给动态趋势、需求动态趋势、供需比及供需比趋势比4个指标对伊河流域生态系统服务供需风险时空演变特征分析。结果表明：（1）1980-2018年伊河流域生态系统服务需求水平持续增加，供给水平持续降低，上游调节服务供给水平较强，中下游的供给服务提供水平较高，下游生态系统服务需求远大于上游。（2）栅格尺度下，1980-2018年流域生态系统服务供需高、低风险区占比分别为3.57%、96.43%，2000-2018年高风险等级面积较1980-2000年有所增加。（3）1980-2018年伊河流域7.69%的子流域高风险等级面积大于10%，7号和26号子流域风险等级相对本流域而言处于较高风险程度，2000-2018年的子流域这一比例达15.38%，且都分布于下游，整体上看，近20年各个子流域面临的生态系统服务风险略有上升。结合专家知识的生态系统服务供需评价矩阵可以快速的评估生态系统服务供需风险状况，为流域生态系统服务管理提供科学支撑。 Abstract:The contradiction between supply and demand of ecosystem services leads to the unreasonable land use mode, causing variously ecological and environmental problems, which restricts and affects the sustainable development of the river basin and the improvement of residents' welfare. Therefore, it is of great significance to strengthen the research on the relationship between supply and demand of ecosystem services. Yihe River Basin with the landscape of mountain-hill-plain in Henan Province is taken as the research area. Firstly, the supply and demand of ecosystem services were mapped by using the ecosystem service matrix based on land use, and the temporal and spatial changes of the supply and demand of ecosystem services were analyzed. Secondly, the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of supply and demand risks of ecosystem services in Yihe River Basin were analyzed in combining with four indicators, namely, the dynamic trend of supply, the dynamic trend of demand, the ratio of supply-demand, and the dynamic trend of the ratio of supply-demand. The results showed that:(1) From 1980 to 2018, the demand level of ecosystem services in the Yihe River Basin continued to increase, while the supply level continued to decrease. The supply level of regulating services in the upper reaches was relatively strong, and the supply level of provisioning services in the middle and lower reaches was relatively higher. The demand of ecosystem services in the lower reaches was much higher than that in the upper reaches. (2) On the grid scale, the proportion of high and low risk areas in the supply and demand of ecosystem services in the basin from 1980 to 2018 is 3.57% and 96.43%. Respectively, from 1980 to 2018, and the area of high risk level increased from 2000 to 2018 compared with 1980 to 2000. (3) From 1980 to 2018, 7.69% of the sub-basins of the Yihe River Basin had a high-risk grade area greater than 10%. The risk grade of the No. 7 and No. 26 sub-basins were at a higher risk degree compared with the same basin. The proportion of the sub-basins from 2000 to 2018 was 15.38%, and all of them were distributed in the downstream. On the whole, the risk of ecosystem services faced by each sub-basin increased slightly in the past 20 years. The evaluation matrix of supply and demand of ecosystem services combined with expert knowledge can quickly evaluate the risk status of supply and demand of ecosystem services and provide scientific support for the management of ecosystem services in the river basin. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Assessment of the Selected Regulating Ecosystem Services Using Ecosystem Services Matrix in Two Model Areas: Special Nature Reserve Obedska Bara (Serbia) and Protected Landscape Area Dunajske Luhy (Slovakia)

In this paper we are analyzing the potential of land cover features to provide three regulating ecosystem services (ESs), ES Local climate regulation, ES Water quality regulation and ES Biodiversity promotion, in two case study areas: Special nature reserve (SNR) Obedska bara (Serbia) and Protected landscape area (PLA) Dunajske luhy (Slovakia). Regulating ESs are not only important for proper functioning of ecosystems, but they are also crucial for the existence of human society. To assess the potential of land cover features to provide regulating ESs, we used biophysical methods. The maps of land cover potential to provide regulating ES are the result of the analyses. The results indicate that forests are the most important ecosystems that provide ES Local climate regulation and ES Water quality regulation. For ES Biodiversity promotion, the most important ecosystems were natural and seminatural meadows, wetlands, natural and seminatural rivers and water bodies as well as forests. Overall SNR Obedska bara has higher potential to provide all three regulating ESs than PLA Dunajske luhy. These findings point to the importance of natural areas in ensuring the provision of regulating ESs. Properly selected landscape management is the key for maintaining or improving the potential of land cover features to provide regulating ESs. The research can help local authorities in decision making and in creating conservation strategies for selected protected areas.

Assessment of Ecosystem Services across the Land–Sea Interface in Baltic Case Studies

Spatial assessments of ecosystem services (ES) are needed to fulfil EU policy requirements and to support practical applications of the ES concept in policy implementation. So far, ES assessments have largely focused on terrestrial systems. A joint approach for land and sea is especially lacking. To overcome this gap, we present a novel spatial habitat typology and ES classification for an assessment across the land–sea interface. We build upon existing approaches and common spatial definitions, like CORINE land cover (CLC) types, water bodies of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), and habitat types according to the Habitats Directive (HD). We show applications of the resulting ES matrix for an expert-based assessment of ES potentials in three Baltic study sites (Schlei, Greifswald Bay and Curonian Lagoon). A complementary indicator-based approach to assess ES flows is introduced and applied. It enables a quantification of ES potentials and flows and ensures comparability among case study sites. Comparisons between the results for ES potentials and flows show that development capacities exist in particular for provisioning ES for marine habitats. Our approaches are spatially expandable and transferrable and could be applied to support environmental policy implementation. Further, we discuss their practical relevance, current limitations, and future research perspectives.

Identifying the spatial disparities and determinants of ecosystem service balance and their implications on land use optimization

Ecosystem services (ESs) are increasingly affected by human interventions, and the ES balance between supply and demand plays a vital role in guaranteeing the expected efficacy of ecosystem restoration projects. However, the spatial disparities of ES balance, along with its determinants and spillover effects, remain unclear, constraining effective ES management and landscape planning. The aim of this study was to fill these gaps by quantifying the ES balance in the restoring Loess Plateau using an expert-based ES matrix approach and by examining the spatial associations between ES balance and driving factors via an integrated regression approach. The results showed that the county-scale ES balance was closely related to the land-use composition and population density. Geographic locations of counties with ES surplus were mainly concentrated in mountainous areas with high proportions of woodland and grassland, while urbanized land and a high population density resulted in an ES deficit. Forest and grass regeneration, due to revegetation practices, alleviated ES deficits, while rapid urbanization and population growth aggravated ES imbalance. The integrated regression approach demonstrated that the ES balance and its dependencies (i.e., landscape metrics and population density) had remarkable spatial heterogeneity and spillover effects, which should be practically considered in localized ES management and landscape optimization. Excessive agricultural reclamation and urban expansion improved grain productivity and economic profits but deteriorated landscape fragmentation, further aggravating the ES deficit. In contrast, excessive revegetation practices promoted ecosystem restoration and improved ES surplus but threatened food security. Therefore, an appropriate balanced state should be maintained for sustainable ecosystem restoration through timely and efficient policy interventions and landscape optimization.

Identification of Ecological Risk Zoning on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from the Perspective of Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand

With the interaction of global change and human activities, the contradistinction between supply and demand of ecosystem services in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is becoming increasingly tense, which will have a profound impact on the ecological security of China and even Asia. Based on land cover data on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in 1990, 2005, and 2015, this paper estimated the supply capacity of ecosystem services using the value equivalent method, calculated the demand for ecosystem services using population density and economic density, established an ecosystem risk index based on the idea of an ecosystem service matrix to reveal the spatio-temporal pattern of the supply and demand of ecosystem services in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and identified the potential ecological risk areas arising from the imbalance between supply and demand. The results showed that: (1) In terms of the spatio-temporal pattern of land use change, the desert area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau decreased the most with 26,238.9 km2, and other types of land use increased, of which construction land increased by 131.7%; (2) In terms of the supply and demand of ecosystem services, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was mainly dominated by low-level surplus areas, accounting for 64.0%, and the deficit in some areas has worsened significantly; and (3) In terms of division pattern of ecological risk areas, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau presented characteristics of high risk in the east and low risk in the west. The high-risk area accounted for 1.1%, mainly distributed in the Huangshui Valley and the “One River and Two Tributaries” (Yarlung Zangbo River, Lhasa River, Nianchu River). The research results can provide reference for ecosystem management and policy formulation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and have important significance for realizing the coupling and coordinated development of human–land relationship in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Pemetaan Jasa Ekosistem Mangrove pada Wilayah Rehabilitasi di Pesisir Sayung, Kabupaten Demak

The mangrove ecosystems on the coast of Sayung Sub-District provide huge benefits to the community. However, this region experienced a very severe coastal erosion during the last few decades. Also, information about mangrove ecosystem services is still very limited in this region. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to map the balance of mangrove ecosystem services on the coast of Sayung Sub-District, Demak District. Data were collected from three coastal villages, namely Bedono, Timbulsloko, and Surodadi, through in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and field observations. The data analysis was carried out using the Burkhard model approach, which involved an ecosystem service matrix, made up of a matrix of capacity, demand, and availability. The results showed that in all components of provisioning service, there was a surplus of availability. In regulating services, there were low surpluses in the components of carbon sequestration and water bioremediation services, while low deficits were found in the service components of reduce wave and current damage, and protecting from sea water intrusion. Then, in cultural services, the two components, shelter for rest area and recreation, experienced a surplus of availability. Mangrove rehabilitation needs to be continued to increase mangrove cover, given the availability of regulating services on components related to erosion prevention in the balace sheet tends to be deficit. Keywords: Burkhard Model, ecosystem services, mangrove ecosystem, Sayung coastal

Assessment Method and Scale of Observation Influence Ecosystem Service Bundles

The understanding of relationships between ecosystem services and the appropriate spatial scales for their analysis and characterization represent opportunities for sustainable land management. Bundles have appeared as an integrated method to assess and visualize consistent associations among multiple ecosystem services. Most of the bundle assessments focused on a static framework at a specific spatial scale. Here, we addressed the effects of applying two cluster analyses (static and dynamic) for assessing bundles of ecosystem services across four different scales of observation (two administrative boundaries and two sizes of grids) over 13 years (from 2000 to 2013). We used the ecosystem services matrix to model and map the potential supply of seven ecosystem services in a case study system in the central high-Andean Puna of Peru. We developed a sensitivity analysis to test the robustness of the matrix. The differences between the configuration, spatial patterns, and historical trajectories of bundles were measured and compared. We focused on two hypotheses: first, bundles of ecosystem services are mainly affected by the method applied for assessing them; second, these bundles are influenced by the scale of observation over time. For the first hypothesis, the results suggested that the selection of a method for assessing bundles have inferences on the interactions with land-use change. The diverse implications to management on ecosystem services support that static and dynamic assessments can be complementary to obtain better contributions for decision-making. For the second hypothesis, our study showed that municipality and grid-scales kept similar sensitivity in capturing the aspects of ecosystem service bundles. Then, in favorable research conditions, we recommend the combination of a municipal and a fine-grid scale to assure robustness and successfully land-use planning processes.

Refining the Tiered Approach for Mapping and Assessing Ecosystem Services at the Local Scale: A Case Study in a Rural Landscape in Northern Germany

Spatially explicit assessments of ecosystem services (ES) potentials are a key component in supporting a sustainable land use management. The ES matrix method is a commonly used approach as it allows for a comparably fast, comprehensible and accessible ES assessment. As it is often based on land use/land cover data (LULC) with no spatial variability, a main critique is that the results fail to assess spatial variability at landscape levels, which limits the reliability of the outputs for spatial planning applications. By using the case study area of Bornhöved in northern Germany, we analyzed three assessment methods that combine expert judgments, LULC data with different resolutions and ecosystem condition indicators, in order to find the required resolution and data for ES assessment and mapping at a local scale. To quantify map discrepancies, we used the structural similarity index (SSIM) and analyzed the differences in local mean, variance and covariance between the maps. We found that using different spatial resolutions led to a relatively small difference in the outcomes, in which regulation and maintenance services are more affected than the other services categories. For most regulation, maintenance and cultural ES, our results indicate that assessments based only on LULC proxies are not suitable for a local quantitative assessment of ES, as they cannot sufficiently cover the spatial heterogeneity of ES capacities that arise from different ecosystem conditions.

Ten years of ecosystem services matrix: Review of a (r)evolution

With the Ecosystem Service (ES) concept's popularisation, the need for robust and practical methodologies for ES assessments has increased. The ES matrix approach, linking ecosystem types or other geospatial units with ES in easy-to-apply lookup tables, was first developed ten years ago and, since then, has been broadly used. Whereas detailed methodological guidelines can be found in literature, the ES matrix approach seems to be often used in a quick (and maybe even "quick and dirty”) way. Based on a review of scientific publications, in which the ES matrix approach was used, we present the diversity of application contexts, highlight trends of uses and propose future recommendations for improved applications of the ES matrix. A total of 109 studies applying the ES matrix approach and one methodological study without concrete applications were considered for the review. Amongst the main patterns observed, the ES matrix approach allows the assessment of a higher number of ES than other ES assessment methods. ES can be jointly assessed with indicators for ecosystem condition and biodiversity in the ES matrix. Although the ES matrix allows us consider many data sources to achieve the assessment scores for the individual ES, in the reviewed studies, these were mainly used together with expert-based scoring (73%) and/or ES scores that were based on an already-published ES matrix or deduced by information found in related scientific publications (51%). We must acknowledge that 27% of the studies did not clearly explain their methodology. This points out a lack of method elucidation on how the data had been used and where the scores came from. Although some studies addressed the need to consider variabilities and uncertainties in ES assessments, only a minority of studies (15%) did so. Our review shows that, in 29% of the studies, an already-existing matrix was used as an initial matrix for the assessment (mainly the same matrix from one of the Burkhard et al. papers). In 16% of the reviewed studies, no other data were used for the matrix scores or no adaptation of the existing matrix used was made. However, the actual idea of the ES scores, included in the Burkhard et al.'s matrices published 10 years ago, was to provide some examples and give inspiration for one's own studies. Therefore, we recommend to use only scores assessed for a specific study or, if one wishes to use pre-existing scores from another study, to revise them in depth, taking into account the local context of the new assessment. We also recommend to systematically report and consider variabilities and uncertainties in each ES assessment. We emphasise the need for all scientific studies to describe clearly and extensively the whole methodology used to score or evaluate ES in order to be able to rate the quality of the scores obtained. In conclusion, the application of the ES matrix has to become more transparent and integrate more variability analyses. The increasing number of studies that use the ES matrix approach confirms its success, appropriability, flexibility and utility for decision-making, as well as its ability to increase awareness of ES.

Modelling the relationships between urban land cover change and local climate regulation to estimate urban heat island effect

Urban land covers affect the thermal characteristics of the city, such as the urban heat island (UHI) effect, potentially increasing energy demand to maintain comfortable indoor and outdoor temperatures. As the land patterns change, the capacity of the landscape to regulate the UHI can change. The aim of this paper is to explore how simulating land cover changes (LCC) may affect UHI using an ecosystem service matrix approach. A LCC model, illustrated in the case study of Lisbon, Portugal, was implemented to estimate the UHI effects over time starting from the modelling of land cover changes associated with the supply of local climate regulation service. Our results show that the capacity of urban landscape to mitigate the UHI effect has decreased since 1990, and will continue to decrease slightly until 2022 although more smoothly than between 1990 and 2000. This is because no substantial land cover changes have occurred after 2000 that required the transition between highest to lowest ecosystem service supplier landscapes. The proposed modelling approach may be refined and used to aiding the decision making process for urban planners in the placement of built structures and green spaces that have the capacity to regulate local climate.

Mapping and Assessment of Urban Ecosystem Services: Capacity in Vilnius City

Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits people gain from ecosystems, which are essential to human well-being. ES concept allows us to demonstrate more clearly the importance of nature, understand its benefits and justify its preservation. Knowledge on ecosystem’s capacity to provide services and the demand for these services allows us more effectively organize spatial planning, avoid conflicts and protect the ecosystems from degradation. This article reviews one of the ES assessment and mapping method called ES matrix model and presents its application to Vilnius case study. Using the method and expert knowledge twelve ES were assessed and mapped. The review of the method has shown that it can be applied at different scales and to evaluate several ES simultaneously. In previous studies, the method was applied to assess ES capacities both locally and at European level, often using expert knowledge for ES evaluation. Method application for the case study confirms that the results of the evaluation mainly depends on primary data, i.e. the scale and accuracy of the land used map and the sufficient sample of experts. The case study showed that the lowest concentration of evaluated services is in the center of Vilnius town and surrounding neighborhoods, and as the distance from the city center increases, the number of ES increases as well. An ES richness map, which shows how many different services exist in a given area, showed a low number of ES in the central and western part of the city (a maximum 6 out of 12 services rated). Additional research, however, is needed to assess the quality of the existing services. Such an assessment of the ES potential and the quality of the services can serve as an additional tool for territorial planning and efficient use of green urban spaces.

Future scenarios of land-use-cover effects on pollination supply and demand in São Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract: Rapid land-use/land cover changes (LULCC) have led to habitat loss and fragmentation in the natural forest areas, which are mainly due to the intense and rapid expansion of urban areas and intense agricultural management. These processes are strongly threatening biodiversity maintenance and the ecosystem services provided by them. Among the ecosystem services under threat, pollination has been widely studied since this service is essential to promote food production and, therefore, human well-being. In a scenario of increasing LULCC it is crucial to understand the interplay between these changes, pollination demand by insect-dependent crops and pollinator availability to ensure these ecosystem services meet the increased demand for food production. In this study, we developed a conceptual model to disentangle the relationships between human-nature, especially LULCC, and its consequences, to the delivery of pollination service. We also presented a case study in the Brazilian São Paulo state, where we modeled the effects of predicted LULCC associated to agriculture expansion between the years 2012 and 2030 on pollinator demand by crops and pollinator supply, for fourteen economically important crops. Additionally, we systematized an expert-based Ecosystem Service matrix to estimate the influences of LULCC on the provision of pollination. Our results showed that by 2030, the demand for pollination will increase by 40% on average, while pollinator supply, estimated using suitability values for the different land-use/cover classes, will show, on average, a 3% decrease. Our results highlight the importance of considering the dialogue among stakeholders, governments, institutions, and scientists to find alternatives and strategies to promote pollinator-friendly practices and safeguard the provision of pollination services in a future under LULCC.