Ecosystem Services Assessment Using InVEST as a Tool to Support Decision Making Process: Critical Issues and Opportunities

Arcidiacono, Andrea; Ronchi, Silvia; Salata, Stefano

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-21410-8_3

Cited by 27 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The analytical tool used is InVEST Habitat Quality, that proved to be effective for the assessment of how different change scenarios in land cover or, as in our case study, habitat threats might affect habitat quality and, consequently, biodiversity [29]. The results obtained in the study area highlight the potential of the proposed methodology to support the decision-making process, orienting reclamation procedures and improving management actions for both SCI/SPA and SNI sites within an integrated approach.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Natura 2000 Areas and Sites of National Interest (SNI): Measuring (un)Integration between Naturalness Preservation and Environmental Remediation Policies

et al. 2020

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The Natura 2000 network was established as a tool to preserve the biological diversity of the European territory with particular regard to vulnerable habitats and species. According to recent studies, a relevant percentage of Natura 2000 sites are expected to be lost by the end of this century and there is widespread evidence that biodiversity conservation policies are not fully effective in relation to the management plans of the protected areas. This paper addresses the issue by analyzing a specific case in which there is a problem of integration between different competences and sectoral policies that leads to the lack of a monitoring system of territorial management performances. The study area, located in the Basilicata Region (Southern Italy), includes a Site of National Interest (SNI), for which several reclamation projects are still in the submission/approval phase, and a partially overlapping Natura 2000 network site. The tool used to monitor biodiversity in the study area is the degradation map obtained through the “habitat quality and degradation” InVEST tool which is used to assess the current trend and thus define a baseline for comparison with two medium and long-term scenarios applicable to the SNI’s procedure of partial and total remediation. The proposed methodology is intended to be a part of a larger and more complex monitoring system that, developed within the framework of ecosystem services, allows for the overcoming of the limits related to fragmentation and contradictions that are present in land management by offering a valuable support to decision makers and the competent authorities in biodiversity conservation policy design.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Natura 2000 Areas and Sites of National Interest (SNI): Measuring (un)Integration between Naturalness Preservation and Environmental Remediation Policies

et al. 2020

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“…The inclusion of an ES mapping framework in spatial planning and in the decision-making process is dependent on spatially explicit information on existing pressures on and predicted threats to the environment (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment 2005). The limitations of mapping are evident: the need for reliable, accurate, public geographic datasets is increasing, and the supply of such data only partially satisfies the demand for it (Benini et al 2010). These weaknesses still need to be overcome.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nonetheless, planners and policy makers have become more aware of ES mapping, and the gap between analytical tools and their practical application for planning purposes will be filled in the near future (Arcidiacono et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus far, a lack of ES mapping has hindered research in the field of project and process sustainability (Maes et al 2012), which in turn has negatively impacted the economic assessment of planning decisions on natural capital (de Groot et al 2002, Tol 2005, Baral et al 2014, Lopes et al 2015. Indeed, when it concerns local policies, economic assessment also requires biophysical indicators, and not merely general biodiversity maintenance costs to be measured (Costanza et al 1997, Tol 2005.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mapping Habitat Quality in the Lombardy Region, Italy

Salata¹,

Ronchi²,

Arcidiacono³

et al. 2017

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This paper reports a case study which examines the how mapping ecosystem services can be used to identify areas of significant natural value to be protected or restored. We mapped habitat quality in Lombardy (northwest Italy) using the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoff) model. Model outputs were used to approximate the spatial distribution of ecological quality across the region provided a framework to support the implementation of the Lombardy Regional Landscape Plan. This resulted in a proposal for introduction of new protected areas in the updated Landscape Plan, while other areas were proposed to be removed.

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“…The capacity of an ecosystem to provide services is closely related to LULC quality and biophysical conditions [31]. LULC is a key measure for linking human and natural systems for environmental management [32,33] and for spatial planning processes aimed at increasing sustainability. The LULC layer was created painstakingly, given the paucity of reliable, detailed data from different databases as defined by Arcidiacono et al [21]; 7.…”

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confidence: 99%

Adopting an Ecosystem Services-Based Approach for Flood Resilient Strategies: The Case of Rocinha Favela (Brazil)

Ronchi

Arcidiacono

2018

Sustainability

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Rocinha (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is the largest favela in South America. It is located on a steep mountain slope in the Tijuca National Park with a population of over 160,000 living in poor environmental, health and hygiene conditions. The geomorphological and urban setting of Rocinha makes it vulnerable to natural hazards, with the greatest risk posed by flooding or landslides, compromising the precarious balance between ecosystem services (ES) provision and human well-being. The paper aims to assess and map ES provision in a context where available data to identify areas vulnerable to natural risks is limited. The ES analyses were adapted to the specific socio-economic and environmental context of favelas, which are characterised by dense, continuously built-up environment and a high proportion of impervious surfaces, leading to deteriorating environmental, health and hygiene conditions over time. The ES-based approach was pivotal for setting out strategies-including nature-based solutions (NBS)-to mitigate disaster risk and increase local resilience. These strategies were selected taking into account the context of Rocinha and feasibility. The research shows that ES assessment can be the starting point for projects based on NBS with a view to increasing resilience even in environmentally critical contexts.Sustainability 2019, 11, 4 2 of 13 landslides, tornados, hail, and frost [2]. These disasters destroyed many buildings, causing displacements and deaths [3]. The most serious events were the 2001 floods which caused the country's worst ever natural disaster in its mountainous region, and the 2010 landslides which caused over 40 fatalities among the inhabitants of a Rio de Janeiro shantytown after a rainstorm [1,4].Nature-based solutions can increase the provision of urban ecosystem services. Solutions of this kind include green spaces (such as urban parks, gardens, forests, vacant lots and orchards) and so-called "blue infrastructure" (such as streams, lakes, water retention ponds and water springs). Ecosystem services can be defined as "the benefits that humans obtain from ecosystem functions" [5,6], or as the "direct and indirect contributions from ecosystems to human well-being" [7] that make human life possible in natural ecosystems.One of the services provided by urban ecosystems is their contribution to the water regulation cycle as rainfall capture by vegetation and permeable soils reduces the pressure on urban drainage systems and minimises the risk of flooding. Water drainage is even more critical in a context such as Rocinha, where buildings occupy 695,000 square metres, or 80% of the total area of 850,000 square metres.Adopting an ES framework can help to establish appropriate management, conservation, and renewal strategies by establishing which areas are most exposed to risk from natural disasters and the appropriate NBS for restoring them [8][9][10].Rainfall-runoff monitoring and upstream water yield forecasting modelling are essential technical processes for disaster risk management. Their asse...

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Ecosystem Services Assessment Using InVEST as a Tool to Support Decision Making Process: Critical Issues and Opportunities

Cited by 27 publications

References 39 publications

Natura 2000 Areas and Sites of National Interest (SNI): Measuring (un)Integration between Naturalness Preservation and Environmental Remediation Policies

Natura 2000 Areas and Sites of National Interest (SNI): Measuring (un)Integration between Naturalness Preservation and Environmental Remediation Policies

Mapping Habitat Quality in the Lombardy Region, Italy

Adopting an Ecosystem Services-Based Approach for Flood Resilient Strategies: The Case of Rocinha Favela (Brazil)

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