Geo-environmental cartography applied to the analysis of ecosystem regulatory services: subsidies for the conservation of water resources

Abstract

The unbridled process of degradation of ecosystems around the planet has become increasingly worrying due to their environmental functions and the services they provide, jeopardizing the maintenance of the quality of the quantity of various natural resources indispensable for the well-being of populations. Many papers propose to analyze the local ecosystem services, however, the majority is limited to turning only to the biological environment or to the identification of changes in the patterns of land use and occupation, failing to propose an integrated analysis between the physical environment and anthropic activities. Based on this information, this project aims to identify the ecosystem services of regulation related to water resources and to develop a methodology of geoenvironmental vulnerability that allows to diagnose the current conditions to which these resources are exposed. Finally, it is expected that the results allow the proposal of territorial planning measures aimed at the conservation of water resources and the consequent maintenance of their ecosystem services. (AU)