BRValuation: a systematic comparison of ecosystem services across Brazilian biomes and ecosystems

Abstract

The identification, classification, and valuation of Ecosystem Services (ES) are essential in highly diverse regions such as the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. Although publications on ES have proliferated over the past three decades, the International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) is relatively recent, and studies integrating CICES and ES valuation remain scarce. In this study, we evaluated a comprehensive list of publications on ES classification across Brazil's natural and artificial biomes and ecosystems, following the CICES framework. Our methodology involved a stepwise classification of ES studies, encompassing all relevant literature published up to 2023. The CICES classes significantly influenced ES identification and valuation, regardless of spatial scale (ecosystem or landscape). Regulating services were the most reported, followed by provisioning, cultural, and supporting services, respectively. In addition to natural environments, agroecosystems emerged as the third most important source of ES, with provisioning (e.g., aquaculture) and cultural (e.g., recreation) services outweighing regulating and supporting services. Regulating services predominated in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest, while cultural services were more frequently associated with marine environments. Although the average valuation of ES did not differ significantly between natural and artificial environments, natural ecosystems such as forests and watersheds hosted a greater number of ES. Notably, artificial environments like fishponds contributed disproportionately to the total ES valuation due to high provisioning service values. Despite the predominance of ES research in natural environments, the valuation of provisioning services in artificial settings may be overestimated — often due to outlier values — reflecting a perception that ties the greatest ES values to direct human use of natural resources. While efforts to establish a unified framework for ES classification and valuation are ongoing, caution is advised when assessing the value of resources directly linked to human consumption, particularly in artificial systems. In conclusion, the classification and valuation of ES in Brazil are still in a developmental stage and demand more rigorous scientific approaches to effectively inform decision-making at both local and regional levels. This paper discusses the need for standardized valuation protocols across biomes and ecosystems to advance this goal.