Assessing the Impact of Land-Cover Changes on Ecosystem Services: A First Step Toward Integrative Planning in Bordeaux, France

Authors :
P. Cabral, C. Feger, H. Levrel, M. Chambolle, D. Basque
This case study analyses multiple ecosystem services provided by the landscape of the Urban Community of Bordeaux, France, between 1990 and 2006 as a result of land use and cover change (LUCC). The studied ecosystem services were food provisioning, flood regulation, water quality, erosion regulation, recreation, climate regulation, and biodiversity. These were selected with the help of local stakeholders and were calculated using a spatially explicit modeling approach with InVEST and own-produced models. The study also utilized free tools and open data, such as Corine Land Cover data.
 
The study found that all ecosystem services, except erosion regulation, have decreased as a consequence of LUCC. In addition, the results suggest that LUCC change decisions that do not consider policy measures for ecosystem services protection tend to generate land use patterns that provide lower levels of ecosystem services. 
 
This approach enables an informed discussion with stakeholders and may be used to effectively implement, monitor, and communicate future planning policies.
Country :
Themes :