Mapping and assessing ecosystem service supply in drylands of the Limpopo Corridor, Mozambique

Abstract

Ecosystems in drylands regions provide numerous services that support climate change adaptation, but both natural and human factors have massively degraded these ecosystems, jeopardising their capacity to provide critical services. Promoting sustainable management of these ecosystems is imperative for successful adaptation in such regions. However, the lack of spatially explicit and detailed information about ecosystems and their services hinders effective management and climate adaptation strategies. This study investigated the spatial distribution of ecosystems and their potential to provide key services along a dryland gradient in the Limpopo Corridor (LC). Using Landsat satellite imagery, we mapped a variety of ecosystems with high classification accuracy, and integrated this map with field-based data and InVEST models to assess ecosystem services. We identified and mapped 27 ecosystems in the corridor, with an overall accuracy of 95.8 %. The findings highlight the greater potential of the LC to provide vital livelihood diversification services supporting local communities' adaptation to climatic change. Specifically, the southern part of the corridor exhibited high potential for services such as medicinal plants, food, aesthetic value, erosion control, crop pollination, spiritual well-being, ecotherapy, and nutrient retention. In contrast, the northern part of the corridor showed the highest potential for habitat quality and recreational services. This study provides an important baseline for devising sustainable ecosystem management strategies and climate change adaptation plans in dryland regions under increasing socio-economic pressures.