Multiple ecosystem services landscape index: a tool for multifunctional landscapes conservation.

Area of Science:

• Ecology and Environmental Science
• Landscape Ecology
• Ecosystem Services Assessment

Background:

• Ecosystem services (ES) significantly contribute to human well-being.
• Understanding trade-offs and synergies in ES provision is crucial for landscape planning.
• Existing indicators often fail to capture local-scale ES dynamics and landscape multifunctionality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new integrative environmental indicator, the Multiple Ecosystem Services Landscape Index (MESLI).
• To assess landscape multifunctionality and ES provision at the municipality level.
• To identify key environmental and socioeconomic drivers influencing ES provision in landscapes.

Main Methods:

• Development of the MESLI indicator, specifically designed for local-scale assessment.
• Application of MESLI in the Basque Country at the municipality level.
• Analysis of the relationship between municipal environmental/socioeconomic characteristics and ES provision.

Main Results:

• MESLI effectively measures landscape multifunctionality at local scales.
• The index successfully differentiates municipalities based on their ecosystem service provision.
• Key drivers of change in ES provision were identified, along with their impacts.

Conclusions:

• MESLI is a valuable tool for evaluating landscape multifunctionality and ES provision at the local level.
• The index provides crucial, locally relevant information often missing in larger-scale assessments.
• MESLI supports informed decision-making for policymakers and land managers in landscape planning.