Ecosystem service valuation of a natural reserve region for sustainable management of natural resources

Abstract

The mangrove ecosystem is extremely important for providing essential ecosystem services, which are crucial for subsistence and human well-being. Using time-series satellite data products and different unit values, the spatially explicit Ecosystem Service Value (ESV) of six eco-regions of the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve (SBR), India, has been calculated for four reference years, viz. 1973, 1988, 2002 and 2013. The maximum ESV (million US$ year1) is provided by the mangrove forest (2292–44468), followed by water surface (65–4244), cropland (26–3938), and sparse vegetation cover (0–326). The total ESV (million US$ year1) of Sundarbans is estimated to be 16629.5, 20175.7, 19733.4, and 16761.3 for 1973, 1988, 2002, and 2013 respectively. The regulation of gas and climate, raw material production, and cultural ecosystem services are entirely dependent on the mangrove ecosystem, while the waste treatment, cultural, and water regulation services are found to be highly sensitive to the changes in water bodies. The food production and biodiversity services exhibiting higher sensitivity to the changes in cropland, water regulation and soil formation and retention services show higher sensitivity to the changes in mixed vegetation cover. The current study has thoroughly evaluated the sensitivity and response behavior of six ecoregions of Sundarbans. The outcome of this study will enable the decision-makers, planners, as well as researchers to adopt necessary action plans for strengthening and protecting the natural resources of this biosphere reserve. Keywords: Land use change, Carbon sequestration, Sundarbans, Mangrove, Remote sensing