Regional spatial patterns of three water ecosystems services

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 University of Connecticut

2 Former fellow of the Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Ecuador

Abstract

Water ecosystem services are benefits obtained from natural processes held by terrestrial vegetation in relation to hydrologic systems. These benefits have implications for human wellbeing through the mitigation of flood risk, management of stormwater runoff, and removal of pollutants from water systems that ultimately supply drinking and irrigation water. Assessing national and regional stocks of these important ecosystem services is crucial for the sustainable development of the land and for conservation purposes. In this study, we applied three models from the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) tool to map the production of flash-flood risk mitigation, stormwater retention, and nitrogen retention. Our findings were consistent with impact assessments on local communities. Through the three ecosystem services mapped, we demonstrated the role of existing terrestrial vegetation in processing hydrologic systems in the Republic of Ecuador. The results from this modeling also provided insights into potential planning pathways for future management using the InVEST software.

Keywords

Water and Environmental Sustainability

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 16 April 2023

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History

  • Receive Date: 14 February 2023
  • Revise Date: 09 March 2023
  • Accept Date: 16 April 2023

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