Historical social relevance of ecosystem services related to long term land uses in a coastal arid aeolian sedimentary system in Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain)

Abstract

The loss of ecosystem services (ESs) is one of the main consequences of the inadequate management of natural environments. However, the drivers that shape the provision of ESs continue to be poorly characterized at local and regional scales, and their protection, generally, has not been a priority. This study analyzes the anthropic alteration process of an arid aeolian sedimentary system, the associated environmental consequences and changes in the social relevance of ESs for the local population. The social relevance of an ES was analyzed using historical sources (analysis of testimonies of travelers, press, government minutes, aerial photographs, field photographs and oral interviews, among others) for five land uses: urbanization, aggregate extraction, grazing, cultivation and logging. Using the available information, three criteria were selected to define their social rele-vance: social sensitivity, economic and political. Considering El Jable (Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain) as study area, the main results show that different historical land uses have generated different social reactions in relation to changes in the capacity of the ecosystem to provide its ESs. The ESs that directly benefitted the population (provision of food, fuel and raw materials, and the regulation of natural hazards) were found to have the greatest social relevance before 1960. However, since then, the change to the island’s economic model has resulted in high levels of social relevance for ESs related to the promotion of tourism (cultural heritage, recreation and leisure, and aesthetic values), citizen security (regulation of natural hazards), wildlife (habitat preservation) and culture (cultural heritage). This type of analysis can provide information on the perception of society to changes in the local environment, the effects of such changes on people’s lives, and the management response of the society in question.