Transformation or modification of vegetation distribution and structure in arid riparian ecosystems can lead to the loss of ecological function. Mexico has 101,500,000 ha of arid lands, however there is a general lack of information regarding how arid riparian ecosystems are being modified. To assess these modifications, we use eight sites in the San Miguel River (central Sonora) to analyze (1) riparian vegetation composition, structure and distribution using field sampling and remote sensing data from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV); (2) productivity (proxies), using vegetation indices derived from satellite data; and (3) variability posed by riparian vegetation and vegetation adjacent to riparian habitats. The development of a simple yet informative Anthropogenic-disturbance Index (ADI) allowed us to classify and describe each study site. We found sharp differences in vegetation composition and structure between sites due to the absence/presence of obligate-riparian species. We also report significant difference between EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) values for the dry season among vegetation types that develop near the edges of the river but differ in composition, suggesting that land cover changes form obligate-riparian to facultative-riparian species can lead to a loss in potential productivity. Finally, our tests suggest that sites with higher disturbance present lower photosynthetic activity.

The development of strategies that conciliate anthropogenic activities with nature conservation is becoming increasingly urgent, particularly in regions facing rapid conversion of native vegetation to agriculture. Conceptual modelling enables assessment of how anthropogenic drivers (e.g. land use/land cover change and climate change) modify natural processes, being a useful tool to support strategic decision-making. The present work describes a conceptual model to evaluate water-related ecosystem service provision under different land use scenarios in the Matopiba region of the Brazilian Cerrado, the world’s most biodiverse savanna and an agricultural frontier. Model variables were determined (direct drivers, indirect drivers, focal components and responses) and the Nature Futures Framework was consulted to incorporate socio-ecological components and feedbacks. Future scenarios were developed considering potential trajectories of drivers and governance responses that may impact land use in the region, including the possibility of full compliance with Forest Code and implementation of the Soy Moratorium in the region. The conceptual model and scenarios developed in the present study may be useful to improve understanding of the complex interactions among anthropogenic drivers, water-related ecosystem services and their potential repercussions for natural and social systems of the region. Governance decisions will be critical to maintaining the ecosystems of the region, the services it provides and the culture and tradition of the people historically embedded in the landscape. In acknowledgment of humanity’s dependence on nature, the importance of inverting the way scenarios are used is highlighted. Rather than using scenarios to measure the impacts of different policy options on nature, scenarios representing the desired outcomes for biodiversity and ecosystem services can be used to inform how policies can guarantee ecosystem integrity into the future.

Ecosystem services (ES) are benefits people receive from nature. To sustain these benefits, we need to spatially connect communities benefitting from specific ES with landscape features that generate the ES. A variety of process‐based models support ES assessments by estimating the biophysical supply of ES that comes from landscapes. However, less attention has been given to how ES flow from landscapes to beneficiary groups. A ‘serviceshed’ is defined as the spatial area that provides an ecosystem service to beneficiaries at a specific location—thus connecting people to the landscapes and seascapes upon which they depend through ES flows. In this article, we propose a general framework to empirically define serviceshed boundaries. Using publicly available data, we apply this framework to two provisioning and two regulating services (1) agricultural and fishing livelihoods and (2) pollination and coastal flood control, respectively, in Canada. We find that agricultural fields of different types and sizes contribute livelihood value to 85% of the communities in the agricultural landscape, and fishing grounds of different sizes contribute to 24% of the communities in the fishing study area. On average, communities with a lower proportion of agricultural labour are associated with larger fields, whilst larger fishing grounds were associated with communities with a greater percentage of their population in fisheries, showing how different ES can have varied relationships with beneficiary communities. For regulating services, we find 66% of pollinator‐supplying areas are within the serviceshed of farming communities. Natural habitats and agricultural land account for 72% and 28% of this serviceshed area, respectively. Our models suggest also that 26% of saltmarshes are within the serviceshed of flood‐prone communities and most coastal communities in our study area benefit from saltmarshes, especially from those without dykes. We demonstrate how serviceshed mapping, when integrating social and ecological information, can be useful in multiple decision contexts. Servicesheds can help planners and managers better design zoning restrictions, restoration activities to benefit communities, or subsidy programmes to replace the value of ES lost due to climate change or land use development. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.