Applying an Ecosystem Approach to Assess Biosphere Reserve Management: The Case of Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

The quest for a balance between sustainable development and nature conservation remains a challenge for scientific and spatial planning. This balance is especially complex in social-ecological structures focused on conventional rural practices and correlated with protected areas. The purpose of this study is to suggest concrete ways to enhance the management of the Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve. To achieve this goal, the research will explore the supply side of ecosystem services in the biophysical dimension, across different landscape units in Jabal Moussa. Tackling the supply side shows how the features of the environment determine the status of an ecosystem service. The supply side will be quantified by mapping the biophysical values of provisioning services focusing on agriculture production in the biosphere reserve's various zones, and the assessment will help to evaluate any bad management practices occurring in any of these zones. The indicators used for the biophysical assessment will rely on the LULC categories defined by the ArcGIS software and models from the INVEST tool. These value dimensions will be useful in evaluating the trade-offs of environmental resources affected by land management in Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve. Moreover, these findings can help identify areas where services are deteriorating, or conservation priority areas based on improving ecosystem services and will be useful in pinpointing problems associated with new planning and management practices.