Evaluation of InVEST’s Water Ecosystem Service Models in a Brazilian Subtropical Basin

Abstract

The biophysical modeling of water ecosystem services is crucial to understanding their availability, vulnerabilities, and fluxes. Among the most popular models, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) models stand out. While many studies have used them, few have assessed their performance. This study evaluates the performance of InVEST’s Seasonal Water Yield, Nutrient Delivery Ratio, and Sediment Delivery Ratio models in a subtropical basin in southeastern Brazil on temporal and spatial scales, using 39 years of streamflow data, 29 for total phosphorus and total nitrogen, and 19 for total suspended solids. Statistical indicators R2, PBIAS, and NSE, were also calculated. The performance of the models varied according to the type of simulated WES and analysis scales used, with the Seasonal Water Yield model demonstrating the best performance and effectively representing the spatial and temporal variability of the average annual streamflow. All models performed well in simulating long-term mean values when compared to observed data. While one should bear in mind the study’s limitations, the results indicate that the models perform well in terms of relative magnitude, although their application in studies involving water-resource management and decision making is limited.

Enhancing Water Ecosystem Services Using Environmental Zoning in Land Use Planning

“…With a drainage area of approximately 4172.12 km 2 , the JGRB is composed of watercourses of different orders that contribute to the formation of the Jacaré-Guaçu River, which is the main watercourse of the JGRB and one of the surface water supply sources of UGRHI 13 [48]. The region is characterized by a flat relief, composed of smoothly undulating hills (around 80%), resulting from the weathering of the Botucatu and Pirambóia formations, with low drainage density [49]. The altitude of the watershed ranges from 372.0 m to 1024.0 m above sea level.…”

“…The InVEST biophysical models were run for the years 1985 to 2019, using previously calibrated parameters from the study conducted by Anjinho et al [49]. The parameters of the models were calibrated and validated on an annual scale using data on streamflow (39 years), the concentration of TN and TP (29 years), and total suspended solids (19 years) obtained from the Water and Sanitation Agency, Department of Water and Energy of the State of São Paulo and the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo.…”

How Wide, How Much? A Framework for Quantifying Economic and Ecological Trade-Offs of Altering Riparian Width on Agricultural Land

“…InVEST, or the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs model, is used to map, quantify and value ecosystem services over large spatial extents (Langhans et al, 2022). InVEST uses land-use and land-cover maps as well as climate data to create a regional heat-map to indicate priority zones, particularly for targeted mitigation of nutrient runoff (Anjinho et al, 2022), which enables managers to visualise where to prioritise resources at the regional scale. This encourages management decisions to be made at that larger scale, resulting in a top-down management style, with large amounts of data being redundant for most property-scale managers.…”

Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics of Water Yield in Guangdong Province and Spatial Management Strategies

“…A comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal characteristics of water yield in Guangdong Province plays a crucial role in the utilization of water resources and the protection of aquatic ecosystems in watersheds [6,10]. It also provides references for environmental protection measures such as returning farmland to forests and grasslands and afforestation of barren hills and wastelands [11][12][13].…”