Quantifying Ecosystem Services Interactions to Support Environmental Restoration in a Tropical Semi-Arid Basin
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Date
2021
Authors
Raji, S. Adekunle
Odunuga, Shakirudeen
Fasona, Mayowa
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
Understanding the role of ecosystem services (ESs) within environmental management has become a critical issue of the
twenty-frst century. This is because scientifc study of ES interactions can aid efective planning and management of ESs,
thus curtailing degradation and enhancing restoration. In this study, ES interactions of the climate-sensitive West African
Sokoto-Rima basin were quantifed using land cover and a series of GIS-derived data as inputs into the InVEST model. Crop production (CP), seasonal water yield (SWY), habitat quality (HQ), and nutrient retention ratio (NRR) between 1992 and 2015 were assessed. Climate change assessment was based Mann–Kendall trend of precipitation and temperature for both past (1951–2017) and future (2018–2050) climates. The climate dynamics present a drying-warming trend with localised cooling–warming spells in some locations and a general future wetting–warming trend. Areas dominated by cropland and CP exert signifcant infuence on the spatiotemporal dynamics of ES interactions contributing to the manifestation of substantial trade-ofs and synergies across the past (2015) and the future (2050) climates. This also regulates the overbearing pattern of multiple ES interactions such that the relationship CP>SWY>HQ>EVI>NRR was observed over the study area. The persistence of these diverse relationships will stimulate the possible degradation of natural regulating ESs. Improvement of existing crop cultivation clusters, cultivation of food-resistant crop varieties, and agroforestry expansion were proposed as climate and ESs interaction-based restoration measures. When adopted, these measures will douse the increasing ES pressures within this semi-arid zone
Description
Keywords
Ecosystem service interactions, InVEST model, Climate change, Ecological restoration, Sokoto-Rima basin
Citation
Raji, S.A., Odunuga, S. & Fasona, M. (2021). Quantifying Ecosystem Services Interactions to Support Environmental Restoration in a Tropical Semi-Arid Basin. Acta Geophysical, Springer, 225-237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-021-00644-z