Integrative framework for analyzing ecosystem services multifunctionality in watershed planning: case study of the Coello River Basin, Colombia

The multifunctionality of ecosystem services (ES) represents multiple benefits that support ES supply and demand. Watershed planning entails the adequate distribution of land use provided by subsystems such as the drainage network (water and biota), riparian forests, and productive systems. However, the multiple ES provided for watersheds is still a critical issue in water system management instruments, such as territorial planning. This study proposes a method for applying the concept of ES multifunctionality in environmental zoning at the watershed scale, integrating information on the supply and demand of ES and its relationship with biodiversity and ecosystem processes. The suitability model included areas of multiple ES supply identified from an ES multifunctionality index (MESLI), the evaluation of trade-offs and synergies between ES through spatial analysis, ecosystem processes associated with distribution patterns of fauna species with some degree of threat and roles in ecosystem processes related to pollination, seed dispersal, and litter fragmentation in streams, using MaxEnt to recognize zones related to habitat conservation and priority areas for conservation. The proposed method integrates different spatial information inputs and supports territorial zoning based on ecological and biological components. Zones with potential ES multifunctionality highlight synergies between services, thereby improving the categorization of land use in the watershed. Models of species distribution and land use help in the spatial analysis of ES by highlighting the ecological functions of key species. The suitability model obtained presents a base scenario for the environmental management of watersheds and is an input for the formulation and negotiation of land use and conservation areas among the stakeholders in the watershed.