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Landscape Management Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 7814

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Irene Petrosillo

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Guest Editor

Laboratory of Landscape Ecology, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
Interests: landscape ecology; ecosystem services; environmental management; ecological indicators
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The need to develop scientific landscape management strategies to achieve the goal of sustainable development is widely known. However, the spatial identification of functional zones remains to be studied, where testing the suitability of alternative landscape management schemes in preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services.

In the context of climate change, there is widespread knowledge that biodiversity conservation and, when necessary, restoration are both required to maintain the supply of ecosystem services; however, there is little knowledge regarding the way management alternatives can affect the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services. The conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services is of great significance from the perspective of sustainability, given that the effects of climate change on ecosystems can result in changes to landscape productivity, a vulnerability to biological invasions, as well as benefits for human well-being provided by natural ecosystems.

The scope of this Special Issue is to collect assessment methods, landscape metrics, and suitable indicators than can help to differentiate between different management strategies in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem services’ conservation enhancement.

Dr. Irene Petrosillo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

ecosystem services
biodiversity conservation
landscape management
human well-being
indicators/metrics

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3474 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Governance of Tourism-Based Social–Ecological Landscapes

by Federica Epifani and Donatella Valente

Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 15967; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215967 - 15 Nov 2023

Viewed by 609

Abstract

In this research, we intended to develop a tool that is able to support the governance of tourism destinations in pursuing adaptation strategies to face environmental impacts. The Sustainable Tourism Assessment Index (STAI) is a synthetic index suitable to assess a destination’s readiness for the implementation of sustainable tourism development trajectories, and it is characterized by a place-based and holistic approach. STAI has been tested in two specific destinations, Gargano and Grecìa Salentina, both located in Apulia (Italy). The two areas were analyzed based on a set of selected indicators, appropriately adapted from a literature analysis, using data from multi-source scraping and referring to the year 2019. Principal component analysis allowed us to compare the tourism performance of the two areas. STAI was then calculated at the municipality scale on the basis of the values of each variable. According to the results, we argue that STAI is a useful tool for governing tourism destinations, including minor ones, and helps support the implementation of development strategies in accordance with the SDGs. Moreover, it helps in comparing different locations in the same region/country from a different perspective of sustainability, as well as assessing the levels of governance sustainability of a tourism-based socio-ecological destination. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Management Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services)

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16 pages, 1432 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Participatory Approach to Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services in Andean Amazonia: Three Country Case Studies for Policy Planning

by Rosario Gómez, Julio Aguirre, Luis Oliveros, Renzo Paladines, Néstor Ortiz, Diana Encalada and Dolors Armenteras

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4788; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064788 - 08 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2796

Abstract

Ecosystem services have been steadily incorporated into policy and planning, particularly for conservation. While biophysical and economic values are often part of ecosystems assessments, integrating participatory approaches with these valuation tools into planning is essential. This study demonstrates the importance of undertaking case studies with an integrated approach from valuation to practice. We focus on the evaluation of ecosystem services based on user priorities in three different countries that comprise the northwestern part of the Amazon basin: Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. A total of 473 community and government representatives were interviewed and their priorities for ecosystem services were elicited. We used three approaches to value the prioritized services, market prices, cost avoided, and the value transfer method. We linked the economic valuation results with policy and development alternatives that focus on ES management and we utilized an adaptive policy framework as a crucial step to assess the “trade off” in relation to any given economic, social, and environmental goal. Seven ecosystem services were identified as priorities: fish, timber, and non-timber forest products as provisioning services; disease regulation, water purification, and carbon sequestration as regulating services; and scenic beauty as the only cultural service. The ecosystem services contributing to the highest proportion of local GDP were regulation of malaria (3.9%) in Colombia, followed by ecotourism (1.75%) in Ecuador and fish (1.7%) in Peru. The instruments developed to help integrate this information into policy actions are mostly related to improving the property right systems currently implemented in each country. The results of this study will enable the management of ecosystem service values to be targeted in planning development at the subnational level in each country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Management Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services)

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12 pages, 1944 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Mangrove Ecosystem Importance for Local Livelihoods in Different Landscapes: A Case Study of the Hau and Hoang Mai River Estuaries in Nghe An, North-Central Vietnam

by Tuyen Thi Tran, Kazuya Takahashi, Hiroaki Nishikawa, Viet Ha Thi Nguyen, Thuy Thi Hoang, Thuy Ha Thi Nguyen, Tai Khac Dau, Vinh Thi Vo and Du Dinh Tran

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3843; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043843 - 20 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1570

Abstract

Mangrove ecosystems play an important role in local livelihoods in coastal regions of tropical and subtropical countries. However, in recent years, urbanisation changed the income structure of residents near mangroves. Different landscapes provide different job opportunities; thus, analysis of regional landscape patterns is important for understanding income structures. In this study, surveys on the income structure and landscape patterns of the surrounding areas of three mangrove sites were conducted in the Hau and Hoang Mai River estuaries in Nghe An Province, North-Central Vietnam. The results reveal that both natural and socio-economic landscape components affected income structure. The major occupations in the study area were agriculture, including husbandry, sea fishing, and trading. Land morphology and river type were the major factors influencing the income from agriculture, while coastline morphology primarily affected income from sea fishing. Community-based trading was carried out in the study area; thus, the population inside each administrative unit was a significant factor increasing income, while the retail market size in an area had significant negative effects, potentially due to the increasing number of competitors. Our study aimed to evaluate mangrove ecosystem importance for local livelihoods in relation to landscape patterns, and the results contribute to urban planning based on the conservation and sustainable use of mangrove ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Management Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services)

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Review

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16 pages, 1098 KiB

Open AccessReview

Harnessing Ecosystem Services from Invasive Alien Grass and Rush Species to Suppress their Aggressive Expansion in South Africa

by Luambo Jeffrey Ramarumo

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15032; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215032 - 14 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1950

Abstract

Invasive alien species are regarded as one of the major driving forces of species extinction worldwide. To counteract the invasion’s spread and minimize species extinction risk, countries like South Africa are devoted to halting human-induced invasion using various means. The failed efforts to halt the invasion spread have forced South African scientists to start considering social controlling mechanisms, including utilization of these species without propagation as one of the alternatives. It is within this context that this review was aimed at making an inventory of invasive grass species that provide ecosystem services in South Africa. The required data were gathered through rigorous literature surveys and analysis. A total of 19 invasive alien grass and rush species, from 15 genera and two families that are associated with provision of ecosystems services, were documented. The reported species are associated with the provision of nine ecosystem services. The current study argued that although these species are associated with some ecosystem services, they can also threaten the ecological integrity of the ecosystems if not properly managed. Insights about ecosystem services associated with invasive alien grass and rush species are significant in balancing the complex environmental issues and livelihood requirements in rural South Africa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Management Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services)

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