Participatory analysis of ecosystem services in a protected area of the tropical dry forest (TDF), Colombia

Abstract

The state of degradation faced by tropical dry forest ecosystems, in different geographical scales, prioritizes their conservation. In this study, a participatory and multicriteria analysis of ecosystem services -ESassociated with current coverages in the tropical dry forest life zone in a protected area, was realized. The ES were spatialized on a local scale, to project management guidelines, and were prioritized and characterized through interviews with key stakeholders. For the approach to the ecosystem functioning, indicators of processes and ecosystem structure were established based on information of soils, flora, fauna and drivers of change. It was found that the most important ES are agricultural production and drinking water supply. The ecosystem functioning was low and very low in agricultural systems, low and medium in livestock systems, and high and very high in natural systems. It is recommended to implement sustainable and participatory conservation strategies.