Abstract

ESPINOZA CISNEROS, Edgar  and  CECILIANO CALDERON, Linnette. Social-ecological Dynamics and Social Values of Ecosystem Services in the Savegre River Watershed, Costa Rica. Región y sociedad [online]. 2021, vol.33, e1418.  Epub Sep 20, 2021. ISSN 2448-4849.  https://doi.org/10.22198/rys2021/33/1418.

Objective: This paper examines some socio-ecological dynamics that explain the spatial configurations of ecosystem services social values the Savegre river watershed in Costa Rica. Methodology: participatory mapping, surveys and open interviews applied to a sample of 95 land managers were used. Results: it was found that the transition zone between the upper and the middle sections of the watershed is particularly important for this system, due its concentration of social values of ecosystem services. The social value of biodiversity was highly prioritized and generalized in spatial terms. In contrast, other more abstract social values, such as future and aesthetic values, show more local tendencies. In addition, historical land use transitions, as well as biophysical factors, like topography and climatic events, conjugate to determine spatial configurations of social values. Limitations: the cartographic representation of social values was based on the use of point features due to the characteristics of the program used (SolVES); therefore, it does not reflect spatial allocations of social values that cover the whole watershed or a sector of it. Value and conclusion: the principal aim is to provide insights for the design of sustainability strategies, based on socio-environmental assessments that transcend the exclusively pecuniary and incorporate spatially-explicit socio-cultural criteria.

Keywords : participatory mapping; environmental cognitions; human/environment interactions; environmental values; Savegre River.