Socioeconomic and environmental proxies for comparing freshwater ecosystem service threats across international sites: A diagnostic approach

In this work, we develop and test proxy-based diagnostic tools for comparing freshwater ecosystem services (FWES) risks across an international array of freshwater ecosystems. FWES threats are increasing rapidly under pressure from population, climate change, pollution, land use change, and other factors. We identified spatially explicit FWES threats estimates (referred to as threat benchmarks) and extracted watershed-specific values for an array of aquatic ecosystems in the Western Hemisphere (Ramsar sites). We compared these benchmark values to values extracted for sites associated with an international FWES threat investigation. The resulting benchmark threats appeared to provide a meaningful context for the diagnostic assessment of study site selection by revealing gaps in coverage of the underlying socio-environmental problem. In an effort to simplify the method, we tested regularly updated environmental and socioeconomic metrics as potential proxies for the benchmark threats using regression analysis. Three category proxies, aggregated from (i) external (global to regional, climate-related), (ii) internal (watershed management-related), and (iii) socioeconomic and governance related proxies produced strong relationships with water supply threat benchmarks, but only weak relationships with biodiversity-related and nutrient regulation benchmark threats. Our results demonstrate the utility of advancing global FWES status and threat benchmarks for organizing coordinated research efforts and prioritizing decisions with regard to international socio-environmental problems.

Fil: Harmon, Thomas Christopher. University of California; Estados Unidos

Fil: Smyth, Robyn L.. Bard College; Estados Unidos

Fil: Chandra, Sudeep. University of Nevada; Estados Unidos

Fil: Conde, Daniel. Universidad de la República; Uruguay

Fil: Dhungel, Ramesh. Kansas State University; Estados Unidos

Fil: Escobar, Jaime. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Panamá. Universidad del Norte; Colombia

Fil: Hoyos, Natalia. Universidad del Norte; Colombia

Fil: Lozoya, Juan Pablo. Universidad de la República; Uruguay

Fil: Nin, Mariana. Universidad de la República; Uruguay

Fil: Perillo, Gerardo Miguel E.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentina

Fil: Pincetl, Stephanie. University of California at Los Angeles; Estados Unidos

Fil: Piccolo, Maria Cintia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentina

Fil: Reid, Brian. Universidad Austral de Chile; Chile

Fil: Rusak, James A.. Queen’s University; Canadá. Dorset Environmental Science Centre; Canadá

Fil: Scordo, Facundo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentina

Fil: Velez, Maria I.. University of Regina; Canadá

Fil: Villamizar, Sandra R.. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana; Colombia

Fil: Zilio, Mariana Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Economía. Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales del Sur; Argentina