Mapping and assessing ecosystems and their services: a comparative approach to ecosystem service supply in Suriname and French Guiana

verfasst von

Ina Maren Sieber, Carole Sylvie Campagne, Clément Villien, Benjamin Felix Burkhard

Abstract

Current environmental resource management policies acknowledge the need to manage and conserve biodiversity. Sustaining good ecosystem conditions and ecosystem services (ES) is imperative at and across multiple spatial scales. The ES concept is a valuable tool to communicate the benefits that nature provides to people. In the Guiana Shield, neighbouring countries share landscapes and ecosystems, and therefore also the services they supply. This study presents the first spatial ES assessments at territorial level for Suriname and French Guiana. Expert-based ES supply matrices were used and analysed in combination with Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) data to compile ES capacity maps for the two territories. In comparison, both ES supply matrices showed a high degree of similarity–forest ecosystems scored the highest ES capacities, followed by aquatic and marine ecosystems. Agricultural and urban land cover showed weak to moderate capacities for ES supply. A statistical analysis revealed a 30% difference of the two matrix assessments. Expert scores given for ES in Suriname exceeded those in French Guiana, especially for urban LULC and planted forests. Sociodemographic factors such as age, gender and institutional environment were analysed to explain this difference. The diverging scores can also be attributed to the distribution and the degree of similarity of the different LULC types and, hence, ES capacities and different governance and institutional contexts of the assessments. Comparative evaluations are essential to understand the differences in perception of ES supply capacities and to underpin future knowledge-based bilateral conservation policies and funding decisions by governments and managers.

Organisationseinheit(en)

Institut für Physische Geographie und Landschaftsökologie
Arbeitsgruppe Physische Geographie

Externe Organisation(en)

WWF, French Guiana

Typ

Artikel

Journal

Ecosystems and People

Band

17

Seiten

148-164

Anzahl der Seiten

17

ISSN

2639-5908

Publikationsdatum

26.03.2021

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Ökologie, Evolution, Verhaltenswissenschaften und Systematik, Fahrzeugbau, Natur- und Landschaftsschutz, Management, Monitoring, Politik und Recht

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

SDG 11 – Nachhaltige Städte und Gemeinschaften, SDG 14 – Lebensraum Wasser, SDG 15 – Lebensraum Land

Elektronische Version(en)

https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2021.1896580 (Zugang: Offen)