Using a GIS web-based tool to map and assess ecosystems and their services in a very high biological and cultural area: the case of Alto Mayo watershed (Peru)

Mapping and assessing pressures and threats on ecosystems and the spatial distribution of their services are even more important in decision making processes for conservation planning and natural resource management. To support decision makings, different ES policy support system tools are at present developed, involving a variety of models, data sources, processes and output. Hence, we carried out a research project in an Andes-Amazon area of Peru, called Alto Mayo, where several anthropic pressures and conservation projects overlap on a high biological and cultural diversity area. We focused on the use and validation of Costing Nature, an ES web-based tool developed by King’s College London. Input data and models used by this tool were validated and used to perform a 2013 baseline of the area, comparing and integrating with the data, information and knowledge about Alto Mayo provided by different local sources, field surveys and decision makers. Output maps, their possible suitability to this Andes-Amazon context, their relationships with Protected Areas and the usefulness to policy makers are evaluated for some ecosystem services such as water provisioning, carbon storage and sequestration, conservation priority, current pressures on Alto Mayo ecosystems.