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Assessing the use of erosion modeling to support payment for environmental services programs

  • PROGRESS IN EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION IN LATIN AMERICA
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Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Payment for environmental services (PES) has assumed increasing importance in discussions about sustainable development strategies. Many of the PES programs are based on water erosion control and the corresponding environmental and economic benefits generated in the basins where they are implemented. The main objective of this study was to show how erosion susceptibility models can support PES programs.

Materials and methods

The application of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) in the Sarandi Experimental River Basin (32.7 km2), located in the Federal District, Brazil, was used as a study case. Then a scheme for organizing knowledge about ecosystem services related to erosion control and water resources was performed. Considering the generated scheme, the USLE results, the land use map, and the water use in the region, we evaluated how erosion modeling could support PES programs.

Results and discussion

The results show that a large part of the study basin (90%) presents “low” susceptibility to erosion, which is significant in terms of the use and conservation of ecosystem services, as well as being a limitation regarding the need for the implantation of PES programs for erosion control. Incentives for maintaining the natural vegetation in areas with higher erosion susceptibility have the greatest potential to justify PES programs in the study basin, and the sanitation company is the potential payer for erosion control in the Sarandi River Basin.

Conclusions

The application of the USLE in a spatially distributed form proved to be an important support tool for land management and the implementation of PES policies.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank CNPq (project number 483410/2011-0), FINEP CT-Hidro (REHIDRO Project), and Embrapa (ECOVALORAÇÃO and GEOCERRADO Projects) for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Embrapa Cerrados, 73310-970, Planaltina, DF, Brazil

    Jorge Enoch Furquim Werneck Lima, Fabiana de Gois Aquino, Eduardo Cyrino Oliveira-Filho, Edson Eyji Sano & Felippe Damião Mello di Silva

  2. Agência Nacional de Águas, 70610-200, Brasília, DF, Brazil

    Walszon Terllizzie Araújo Lopes

Authors
  1. Jorge Enoch Furquim Werneck Lima
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  2. Walszon Terllizzie Araújo Lopes
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  3. Fabiana de Gois Aquino
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  4. Eduardo Cyrino Oliveira-Filho
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  5. Edson Eyji Sano
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  6. Felippe Damião Mello di Silva
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Correspondence to Jorge Enoch Furquim Werneck Lima.

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Responsible editor: José Carlos de Araujo

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Lima, J.E.F.W., Lopes, W.T.A., Aquino, F.G. et al. Assessing the use of erosion modeling to support payment for environmental services programs. J Soils Sediments 14, 1258–1265 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0821-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0821-0

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