Ecosystem services and indicators for temperate forests in Mexico
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29298/rmcf.v17i96.1672Keywords:
bibliometric analysis, carbon sequestration, environmental accounting, temperature ecosystem, indicators, VOSviewerAbstract
Ecosystem services (ES) are the direct and indirect contributions of nature to the well-being of society. Their measurement requires indicators for sustainable forest management. The objective was to develop a set of indicators and metrics to assess ES in the temperate forests of Mexico. A systematic review (1990-2025) was conducted, following the Prisma standard (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), analyzing a final corpus of 1274 publications (669 global and 605 national). Bibliometric analysis, using the Rayyan and VOSviewer platforms, showed that research on supporting, regulating, and provisioning ES dominates at the national level (48.6 %, 37.3 %, and 12.4 %, respectively): biodiversity, carbon storage and sequestration, water flows, disturbances, timber, and biomass; while cultural ES are underrepresented (1.7 %). Through multi-criteria evaluation and a Delphi panel of 20 experts (95 % global consensus), an operational framework aligned with CICES (Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services) V5.2 was developed, comprising four categories, 19 types of ES, and 43 indicators (25 provision, 10 regulatory, 5 cultural, and 3 supporting). The results highlight the need to employ biophysical metrics validated in situ, capable of reflecting the multifunctionality of the ecosystem. The proposed set of ES, indicators, and metrics will serve as an operational tool to guide decision-making and facilitate the inclusion of ES in global environmental accounting frameworks.
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