University of Twente Student Theses
Assessing and Mapping Provisioning and Cultural Services: The Case Study of Lake Bosomtwe,Ghana
Estrada, Ana Karina Aguilar (2012) Assessing and Mapping Provisioning and Cultural Services: The Case Study of Lake Bosomtwe,Ghana.
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| Abstract: | Different ecosystem functions have the capacity of providing a diversity of services. Lake ecosystems provide habitat for a variety of species, regulation functions such as water supply, production function, such as food and ornamental resources and Information functions, such as recreation and (eco) tourism, aesthetic, spiritual, cultural, scientific information. Two ecosystem services were identified by stakeholders , i.e. provisioning services and cultural services. The first services were relevant to stakeholders from the local level, i.e. local communities from villages surrounding the lake, which livelihood depend heavily on the fish supply. On the other hand, cultural services were recognized by stakeholders from local to international levels. A significant relationship between the values perceived and stakeholders was found which permitted the assessment of ecosystem services per stakeholder groups. This case study has demostrated how stakeholders perception of services and their interaction with the ecosystem can be combined to assess and map the ecosystem services. Stakeholders related the most important values to services they have experienced and most interaction with. Criteria based on litterature review and observations in the field were used to build a series of indicators for each of the services assessed. Two criteria were identified to visualize the spatial variation of services values across the study area: x The first criterion was the ability of the ecosystem to provide the services required. To infer the status of this criterion, the social value indicator was used. This indicator proved to be highly correlated with the two services. x The second criterion was the possibility of interaction of human societies with the services provided. To infer the status of this criterion two indicators were used, the fishermen density (only for provisioning service) and the accessibility indicator (used to assess both services). The fishermen density proved low correlation for assessing provisioning services. The accessibility indicator proved to be very relevant for assessing provisioning services but not relevant for assessing cultural services. The approach used for hotspot mapping was fuzzy logic which permitted the combination of the different indicators. The relevance of this method for assessing ecosystem services is that it reflects the spatial heterogeneity of the landscape services and allows gradual v transition as the ecosystem characteristics do not have sharp limits, neither do the services. Keywords: Social Hotspots, ecosystem services, provisioning services, cultural services, social values, accessibility |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | ITC: Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation |
| Programme: | Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation MSc (75014) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/93607 |
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