Beyond land use planning and ecosystem services assessment with the conservation use potential framework: A study in the Upper Rio das Velhas basin, Brazil

Human actions can damage the ecosystems and affect the services depending on them, with ample detrimental consequences. In earlier studies, the Conservation Use Potential (PCU) framework proved useful in assessing the capacity for aquifer recharge, suitable land uses and resistance to erosion at the river basin scale. On the other hand, the joint analysis of PCU and land uses allowed identifying the adequacy of current uses in relation to suitability (natural uses) in various basins. This was especially useful from the management perspective in basins with environmental conflicts, where current uses differed from suitability, because the PCU indicated how and where the conflicts should be mitigated. Besides the use as management tool, the PCU has potential to shed light over environmental issues such as ecosystem services, but that was not tempted so far. The aim of this work was therefore to bridge that knowledge gap and frame the PCU's application from the standpoint of Ecosystem Services (ES) assessment. We demonstrated how the PCU could be used to improve provision (recharge), support (sustainable agriculture) and regulation (resistance to erosion) services in a specific basin with land use conflicts (the Upper Rio das Velhas basin, located in Minas Gerais, Brazil), through the planning of suitable uses. It was noted that the studied basin is mostly composed of Very Low, Low and Medium potentials. These classes occur because steep slopes, fragile soils and lithologies with high denudation potential and low nutrient supply dominate in the basin. On the other hand, urban sprawl has a negative impact on all ES, while maintaining agricultural areas with appropriate management can effectively regulate erosion. As per the current results, the premise of using the PCU as joint management-environmental tool was fully accomplished, and is recommended a basis for public policy design and implementation in Brazil and elsewhere.