Benefits and values of provisioning and habitat services of different land use types in the AlVelAl* drylands, Southeast Spain *AlVelAl: Altiplano de Granada, Los Vélez, Alto Almanzora, Comarca del Noroeste and Guadix Valentina Bedoya Serrati MSc Thesis in Environmental Sciences May 2018 Photo credits: AlVelAl Association Supervised by: Dr. Rudolf de Groot (ESA) Course code: ESA-80436 Environmental System Analysis Benefits and values of provisioning and habitat services of different land use types in the AlVelAl drylands, Southeast Spain. Valentina Bedoya Serrati MSc. Thesis in Environmental Science May 2018 Supervisor: Dr. Rudolf S. de Groot Environmental Systems Analysis Group Wageningen University Email: [email protected] Examiners: 1st Examiner Dr. Rudolf S. de Groot Environmental Systems Analysis Group Wageningen University Email: [email protected] 2nd Examiner Prof. Dr. Rik Leemans Environmental Systems Analysis Group Wageningen University Email: [email protected] Disclaimer: This report is produced by a student of Wageningen University as part of her MSc-programme. It is not an official publication of Wageningen University and Research and the content herein does not represent any formal position or representation by Wageningen University and Research. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, without the prior consent of the Environmental Systems Analysis group of Wageningen University and Research PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis project is part of a joint effort of three students to collaborate in a restoration programme carried out by Commonland (NL) and AlVelAl association (ES) to restore the degraded landscapes of the semiarid areas of southeast Spain. An assessment of the four ecosystem services categories was done with the aim to identify the main ecosystem services provided by three of the main land uses of the Altiplano de Granada and Los Vélez agrarian districts of AlVelAl. As part of my thesis report, I was in charge of addressing the provisioning and habitat services. My personal interest in ecosystem services provided by agroecosystems in semiarid areas resulted from the similarities of the semiarid areas of Spain, and their related environmental and climatic limitations, with a region of the country where I come from, Paraguay. In addition, being part of this thesis project gave the opportunity to work for a real project, get in contact with professionals from Commonland and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), as well as get to know the people who are working for this restoration project which are the members and farmers of AlVelAl association. Once in Spain for my fieldwork that lasted 1.5 months, I had the opportunity to work and get advice from professionals of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) – Zaidín Experimental Station, which were always willing to help us and to make us feel and understand how the territory and its people work and what challenges they have to face in the area. I had the chance to go with my fellow thesis partners to the study area and interview people, especially farmers and professionals with lots of experience and knowledge about the area. Their love for the territory and their enthusiasm was very inspiring and an example of how people should care for what is their own. There might have been obstacles, difficulties and limitations during the research project, but all of them became experiences and lessons to learn from, that otherwise, I might have not been able to experience. I am very grateful for having this opportunity to learn in a different environment and to somehow contribute to a project that aims to return the inspiration, social, financial and natural capital to such a unique territory. A special thanks to Maria Eugenia Ramos, Ana Belén Robles, Mauro Tognetti and José Luis González from CSIC for their help, for sharing their knowledge, for their company and constant motivation, which, definitely, helped me to, carried out this thesis overcoming the difficulties. Thanks to all AlVelAl members and interviewees who were always very enthusiastic and willing to share their experiences. Thanks to Commonland for the cooperation, to Catalina Rodriguez for her advices, and thanks to my Wageningen Supervisor for pushing me always to do the best I can and to make the best out of this experience. Finally, thanks to my friends and family which were all the time by my side encouraging me. Thanks to Francois and Davide for all the memories we were able to create and for being a constant support to me. None of this thesis report would have been done without the collaboration of so many people. i Table of Content PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................... i ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................................................... v SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................. vi 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Study area ............................................................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Problem statement ............................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Purpose of the study and research questions ....................................................................................... 5 1.5 Outline of the thesis .............................................................................................................................. 5 2 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Conceptual framework .......................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Research Methods .............................................................................................................................. 10 2.3 Data collection .................................................................................................................................... 14 2.4 Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 18 3 LAND USE AND LAND COVER OF THE ALTIPLANO DE GRANADA AND LOS VELEZ AGRARIAN DISTRICTS OF AlVelAl .................................................................................................................................................................. 21 3.1 Land use change in the period 1956-2007 in the Altiplano de Granada and Los Vélez ...................... 21 3.2 Agricultural crops class land use changes ........................................................................................... 23 3.3 Current land use and land cover distribution of the Altiplano de Granada and Los Vélez agrarian districts of AlVelAl territory .............................................................................................................................. 24 4 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THREE SELECTED LAND USE TYPES .................................................................... 26 4.1 Almond monoculture .......................................................................................................................... 26 4.2 Mixed land-use system ....................................................................................................................... 28 4.3 Livestock farming ................................................................................................................................ 29 5 MAIN PROVISIONING SERVICES PROVIDED BY EACH LAND USE TYPE AND THEIR ACTUAL USE ................. 31 5.1 Actual use of provisioning services ..................................................................................................... 31 5.2 Perception of importance and capacity to provide provisioning services .......................................... 35 6 HABITAT SERVICES PROVIDED BY EACH LAND USE TYPE ............................................................................. 45 6.1 Almond monoculture .......................................................................................................................... 45 6.2 Mixed land-use systems ...................................................................................................................... 45 6.3 Livestock farming ................................................................................................................................ 45 7 BENEFITS AND BENEFICIARIES OF MAIN PROVISIONING AND HABITAT SERVICES...................................... 47 7.1 Benefits and beneficiaries of provisioning services ............................................................................ 47 7.2 Benefits and beneficiaries of habitat services..................................................................................... 51 7.3 Differences of