Abstract

This study assessed changes in the Ecosystem Services Value (ESV) due to changes in Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) during the period 1988-2019 in the Gedeo highlands of Ethiopia. Moderate-resolution Landsat images for 1988, 2003, and 2019 were obtained and analyzed using a pixel-based supervised image classification with a maximum likelihood algorithm for mapping and assessing the LULC changes. The ESVs were estimated based on the benefit transfer approach using adopted global value coefficients and modified local value coefficients. The results revealed that agroforestry, wetland, and forestland that have vital ecological values decreased, while other LULC with less ecological values, such as built-up area, cropland, and grassland, increased throughout the study period. Besides, the results showed that the aggregated ESVs of the agroforestry, wetland, and forestland had decreased, which consequently led to a total loss of US$ 45.46 million (57.96%) in ESVs over the past 30 years when calculated with the modified local value coefficients and US$ 7.78 million (34.94%) when calculated with the global value coefficients. To protect the ecological function of the studied landscape, protection of the valuable LULC classes from further degradation that involves proper conservation measures is urgently required. This study provided minimum estimates of the ESVs, which will contribute to the formulation of strategies for sustainable management of the Gdeo highland and inform various stakeholders on the tradeoffs involved in the use of land resources.

Keywords:Land use/land cover; Ecosystem service; Benefit transfer; Gdeo; Ethiopia