Systematic review of integrated studies on functional and thematic ecosystem services in Latin America, 1992-2017

Abstract

This article presents a systematic review of scientific publications on the ecosystem services topic with an integrated approach in Latin American countries for the period 1992–2017. Ecosystem services were subdivided into functional (provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural) and thematic (biodiversity, hydrological, carbon capture, landscape, soil) classifications to demonstrate their mutual interconnection. An integrated approach was assumed when ecological, social, economic, and political dimensions converged within studies. As a methodological procedure, the sequence of the PRISMA protocol and a semantic network analysis were conducted to select and review scientific articles from two international scientific databases. The articles were characterized according their evolution over time, geographical location and predetermined analysis variables. The results highlight that the most frequently analyzed services were provisioning and regulating ecosystem services related to hydrological and biodiversity. The timeline showed an increasing number of integrated studies since 2009, with most case studies developed at regional and local scales for forest and fishing socioecological systems in Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica. The studies were predominantly multidisciplinary, with clear public policy demand and governmental funding. Transdisciplinary studies have the potential to build plural and inclusive knowledge to improve the decision-making process and offer support for solutions to complex socio-environmental problems.