Payment for Water-Related Ecosystem Services as a Strategic Watershed Management Approach

Payments for ecosystem services (PES) have been created worldwide to assist watershed management and improve or maintain water quality. Considering their importance, we conducted a holistic review of payment for water-related ecosystem services to understand how this instrument has been applied in watershed management worldwide. First, we identified the watershed management actions considered by the PES programs and the challenges of implementing water-related PES. After we identified the methods and criteria used to define priority areas for water-related PES. Our review considered articles published on the Web of Science from 2011 to 2022. We found 236 articles relating PES to water resources, highlighting the main water conservation strategies: native vegetation conservation, native vegetation restoration, and implementing best agricultural practices. The method most frequent was interview, followed by the use of technologies, document analysis, and hydrological models. Another significant result was that priority areas for receiving PES are mainly riparian zones, areas near or with native vegetation cover, areas with higher erosion potential, steep areas, and areas with socially vulnerable communities. This review was crucial to identify efficient water resource conservation strategies and potential challenges in the implementation and development of PES programs.

Integrated watershed management:evolution,development and emerging trends

Watershed management is an ever-evolving practice involving the management of land, water, biota, and other resources in a defined area for ecological, social, and economic purposes. In this paper, we explore the following questions： How has watershed management evolved？ What new tools are available and how can they be integrated into sustainable watershed management？ To address these questions, we discuss the process of developing integrated watershed management strategies for sustainable manage- ment through the incorporation of adaptive management techniques and traditional ecological knowledge. We address the numerous benefits from integration acrossdisciplines and jurisdictional boundaries, as well as the incorporation of technological advancements, such as remote sensing, GIS, big data, and multi-level social-eco- logical systems analysis, into watershed management strategies. We use three case studies from China, Europe, and Canada to review the success and failure of integrated watershed management in addressing different ecological, social, and economic dilemmas in geographically diverse locations. Although progress has been made in watershed management strategies, there are still numerous issues impeding successful management outcomes; many of which can be remedied through holistic management approaches, incorporation of cutting-edge science and technology, and cross-jurisdictional coordination. We conclude by high- lighting that future watershed management will need to account for climate change impacts by employing techno- logical advancements and holistic, cross-disciplinary approaches to ensure watersheds continue to serve their ecological, social, and economic functions. We present three case studies in this paper as a valuable resource for scientists, resource managers, government agencies, and other stakeholders aiming to improve integrated watershed management strategies and more efficiently and successfully achieve ecological and socio-economic management objectives.

Transaction costs for collaboration in the watershed management of the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern

This study examines the transaction costs of collaborative watershed management in the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern(AOC)—one of the 43 geographic areas designated by the U.S.and Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement(GLWQA),where significant impairment of beneficial uses has occurred as a result of human activities.The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio,the U.S.and flows through the City of Cleveland before draining into Lake Erie—one of the five Great Lakes of North America.The watershed is degraded due to municipal and agricultural discharges,streambank erosion,and contamination from urban and industrial sources.This research explores how a diverse group of stakeholders convened under the Cuyahoga River AOC Advisory Committee to share information,coordinate activities,agree on activities that restore beneficial uses,and support strategic management actions.In this study,23 semi-structured interviews with members of the advisory committee were conducted between January 28,2020 and April 20,2020,with follow-up emails and phone calls as needed to corroborate information.A review of research articles and government documents supported the interviews,including United States Environmental Protection Agency(U.S.EPA)and Ohio Environment Production Agency(OEPA)reports on the GLWQA and Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plans.A third source of data is from direct participant observation at quarterly meetings of the advisory committee during 2017–2020,binational AOC conferences in 2017 and 2019,and other professional events geared towards restoring the Cuyahoga River AOC in 2016–2020.Results of this study include a set of recommendations to help guide group structure and decision-making processes,including(1)employing best available technology to organize AOC events and disseminate information;(2)supporting new members with an orientation and/or mentor to clearly define formal and informal committee rules;(3)assuring equal access to detailed information on management action plans with a real time dashboard;(4)updating voting procedures and the prioritization of management actions;and(5)better incorporating underrepresented local communities and highlevel decision makers from municipalities,government agencies,and nongovernmental organizations located within the Cuyahoga River AOC.Results help to explain the collaborative process within the advisory committee and measure the institutional performance of the advisory committee in terms of efficiency,equitability,accountability,and adaptability.

Constrction of watershed flood disastermanagement information system and its application to the catastrophic flood of theYangtze River in 1998

This paper introduces a general method of establishing Watershed Flooding Disaster Management Information System (WFDMIS). The functions, database, models, user interface, software and hardware are considered. An application example in Poyang Lake Basin was given.

Factors affecting farmers’participation in watershed management programs in the Northeastern highlands of Ethiopia:a case study in the Teleyayen sub-watershed

Introduction:This study investigated factors affecting farmers’participation in watershed management programs in the Northeastern highlands of Ethiopia by taking the Teleyayen sub-watershed as a case study.Data were collected from 215 farm households which were selected from the four villages using a multistage sampling procedure,involving a combination of purposive and random sampling.Data were gathered using a structured survey questionnaire,focus group discussion,and key informant interviews.Descriptive analysis,Pearson correlation analysis,and regression analysis were employed to analyze the data.Results:Findings of this study showed that farmer’s perception has a strong positive correlation(r=0.612,P=0.000)with the farmer’s decision to participate in the watershed management programs followed by government support(r=0.163,P=0.017),while the slope of the farmland and the gender of the household head have shown significant and negative associations.The binary logistic regression analysis also revealed that six independent variables were significant in explaining the factors affecting the farmers’decision to participate in watershed management programs.These variables were land redistribution,gender,agricultural labor force,extension service,farm size,and slope.Of these,land redistribution,gender,agricultural labor force,extension service,and slope of the farmland indicated a negative influence,while farm size of a household exerted a positive impact.The study also examined the role of discrete variables in explaining variations of variables in affecting the farmers’decision to participate in the programs.Thus,two variables found to be significant.These variables are the gender of the household head and land tenure security.Accordingly,the chi-square result of the variable(χ^(2)=9.052)of gender was found to be statistically significant at the 95%level of significance.Similarly,the chi-square result(X^(2)=8.792)of land tenure security was found to be statistically significant at the 95%level of significance.Conclusions:The result of the study suggests to work on raising the awareness of farmers’about the long-term benefits of the watershed programs and to design a strategy to diversify their livelihoods.

Post-adoption behaviour of farmers towards soil and water conservation technologies of watershed management in India

The Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation(IISWC)and its Research Centres have developed many successful model watershed projects in India in the past and implemented many Soil and Water Conservation(SWC)technologies for sustainable watershed management.While many evaluation studies were conducted on these projects in the past,there has been no assessment of the post-adoption status of the SWC technologies over a longer period.It was imperative to appraise the behaviour of the farmers with regard to the continuance or discontinuance of the technologies adopted,diffusion or infusion that took place and technological gaps that occurred in due course of time in the post watershed programme.Therefore,it was realized that the postadoption behaviour of beneficiary farmers who have adopted different soil and water conservation technologies for watershed management projects should be studied in detail.The research study was initiated in 2012 as a core project at Vasad as the lead Centre along with IISWC headquarter Dehradun,and Centres Agra,Bellary,Chandigarh,Datia,Kota&Ooty,with the specific objectives of the study to measure the extent of post-adoption behaviour(continued-adoption,discontinuance,technological gap,diffusion and infusion)of farmers towards the adopted SWC technologies of watershed management.In the present study various indices regarding continued adoption,dis-adoption(discontinuance),technological gap,diffusion,infusion regarding soil and water conservation technologies for watershed management were developed for measurement of post-adoption behaviour of farmers.It was revealed that a little less than three-fourth(73%)of SWC technologies continued to be adopted and more than onefourth(27%)were discontinued by farmers.Out of the total continue adopted SWC technologies by farmers,a little less than onefifth(19%)of technologies continued to be adopted with a technological gap.More than one-fourth(28%)of SWC technologies were also diffused to other farmers’fields in nearby villages and on an average 1.2 technologies were also infused into the farmers'fields from outside by their own efforts in the watersheds developed by the IISWC and its Centres.

Land Use/Cover and Naturalness Changes for Watershed Environmental Management(Southeastern Brazil)

Driving forces on the landscape require regional management and/or local actions, together with other external factors. To operationalize this approach, this paper carried out a comparative analysis of the naturalness dynamics of the Jacaré-Gua&#231u and Jacaré-Pepira watershed, based on land use/cover changes and a structural indicator of the landscape, over the 10-year (2004-2014), as support opportunities for improving its environmental planning and management. Land use/cover dynamics were obtained based on screen digitizing of LandSat imagery, using polygon manual digitalization. Naturalness scenarios of the watersheds, over the 10-year (2004-2014), were obtained based on Urbanity Indicator, which evaluates how much the natural landscapes are dominated by altered systems. The total area of watersheds showed a predominantly scenario, induced by anthropogenic agricultural and non-agricultural expansion areas, mainly by conversion of other land use/cover types in sugarcane cultivation. Despite the increase in natural vegetation areas, over the 10-year (2004-2014), Jacaré-Gua&#231u and Jacaré-Pepira watersheds are far from a sustainable condition. However Jacaré-Gua&#231u watershed presents a scenario of more committed naturalness due to the increase in Urbanity Index values ≥ 0.7. The historical process of land use occupation for agricultural production remains the main driving force of naturalness changes, occupying more than 70% of the total area of watersheds. These results have significant implications for fast urbanizing municipalities in providing key information about long term land use impact on the watershed structure and function, making it possible for policy makers, scientists and stakeholders to identify land uses which are hindered or enhanced under various scenarios of land use change over the time, and making it possible to explore the trade-offs between them to improve watershed management.

Assessment of Willingness to Pay as a Source of Financing for the Sustainable Development of Barobbob Watershed in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines

This study employed the Contingent Valuation Method to assess the willingness to pay of water users, as a source of financing for the sustainable development of Barobbob Watershed. The WTP study was conducted among 345 waters users in 19 barangays in the municipalities of Solano and Bayombong. Uncensored data revealed that 63.8% (58.84% for the adjusted) of the respondents revealed willingness to pay for improved watershed management. The mean WTP amount, estimated through a logit model, Turnbull Distributor-Free Estimator and Lower Bound Estimate, is found to be PhP39.35, PhP27.80 and PhP25.90/month/household, respectively. Respondents WTP is influenced by bid amount, age, membership in environmental organization, experience with water-related problems, civil status, house ownership, and awareness on the concept of watershed. Respondents were willing to pay because they wanted a sustainable water supply for the present and future generations. A payment scheme is possible and it could provide a sustainable flow of fund, however, the willingness percentages still needed to be increased. Community education and public awareness (CEPA) campaign is necessary to enhance the water users’ knowledge and understand about the importance and values of watersheds. Ultimately, WTP percentage and WTP amounts would increase.

Cascade Tank Water Quality Management: A Case Study in Thirappane Tank Cascade System, Sri Lanka

Tank cascade system(TCS)is a series of tanks located in a meso-catchment and has been accepted as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System found in Sri Lanka.Ecosystem components of the TCS play a major role in purifying water within the system.This study attempted to investigate the water quality status and the farmers’willingness to rehabilitate the ecosystem components of the Thirappane TCS.Drinking and irrigation water quality parameters were tested in 34 locations and drinking and irrigation water quality indexes were calculated.Participatory rural appraisal and a questioner survey were conducted to gather social data.Water of TCS was observed to be appropriate for irrigation but not for drinking during the Maha cropping season.Based on the results of the Nitrate(as NO_(3)^(-))and Total Phosphate(as PO_(4)^(3-)),water of TCS can be categorized as eutrophic.Presence of ecosystem features of tank cascade system,annual income of the respondents,satisfaction on the quality of water for drinking,and the awareness about the tank cascade system significantly influenced the participatory decisions of the community on the rehabilitation of TCS.This study shall be an example and an eye opener to formulate sustainable tank cascade management plan.

Prioritization of Sub-Watersheds in Ruparel Watershed, Rajasthan Based on Morphometric and Land Use/Land Cover Analysis Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Watershed prioritization is considered as the most significant aspect in watershed resource management and development program. The present work attempts to prioritize seventeen sub-watersheds in Ruparel watershed of Alwar district of Rajasthan, India. For prioritization of sub-watersheds, morphometric and land use/land cover (LULC) analysis were performed using remote sensing and GIS. Base map of the study area has been derived from SOI toposheet on 1:50,000 scale whereas LULC mapping was done using IRS P6 LISS III data. Standard methods for drainage morphometry have been followed for computing morphometric parameters such as linear and shape for seventeen sub-watersheds and allotted ranks based on their relationship with erodibility and a compound value has been calculated for final ranking. Five main LULC categories were computed and were assigned priority ranks and subsequently a compound parameter was determined for final ranking. Integration of both morphometric and LULC results reveal that SBW5, SBW7, SBW12 and SBW16 are the common sub-watersheds that fall under high priority, SBW3 falls under Medium category and SBW11 comes under low priority. The results of the analysis can be used to identify the sub-watersheds which need immediate restoration and will eventually help in watershed resource management for sustainable development.

Impact of land use change on water resource allocation in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin in northwestern China

In recent decades, China has been experiencing rapid economic development, population growth and urbanization. These processes have stressed the shortages of water resources in China, especially in the arid re- gions of northwestern China. In order to sustain the expanding cropland, people increased groundwater exploitation in these regions. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze the changes in land use and water resources, and their relationship in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin, a typical inland river basin in northwest China. The data of land use change were interpreted using aerial photographs （1965） and Landsat TM images （1986 and 2007）. The data of irrigation water volume in the irrigation districts were spatialized in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin. The spatial variation of the groundwater depth was interpolated using the geo- statistical method. The results showed that the cultivated cropland area along oasis fringe increased by 15.38% and 43.60% during the periods 1965-1986 and 1986-2007, respectively. Surface water amount for irrigation had almost doubled from 1956 to 2010. The decrease of grassland area mainly occurred at the alluvial fan in front of the Qilian Mountains, with 36.47% during 1965-1986 and 38.56% during 1986-2007, respectively. The groundwater depth in front of the mountain constantly increased from 1986 to 2007. We found that the overuse of surface water and overexploitation of groundwater had direct consequences on the natural environments. We suggests that the efficiency of surface water resources use among different irrigation distdcts needs to be improved, which will significantly ease the conflicts between increasing water demand for irrigation and a shortage of water resources in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin.

Study on Environmental Risk and Economic Benefits of Rotation Systems in Farmland of Erhai Lake Basin

This study was designed to find out an optimised planting system of reducing non-point （source） pollution by analyzing the reasons and the factors of influence non-point pollution in farmland of Erhai Lake basin. The results showed that incomes, residual nitrogen in soil, and the loss of nitrogen in surface water in rice-garlic system were higher than those in rice-fava bean system. There were positive correlations between the nitrogen loss of farmland, nitrogen inputs, residual nitrogen in soil, and incomes of farmland. Economic benefits and environment benefits are both appropriate, if the area of rice-garlic system would be reduced to 53% and the area of rice-fava bean system increased to 36% of total cropping area in the investigated watershed. Adjustment of planting structure and introduction of reasonable rotation systems is considered an effective measure of controlling agricultural non-point pollution in watersheds of Erhai Lake.

GIS tools for preliminary debris-flow assessment at regional scale

The assessment of the areas endangered by debris flows is a major issue in the context of mountain watershed management. Depending on the scale of analysis, different methods are required for the assessment of the areas exposed to debris flows.While 2-D numerical models are advised for detailed mapping of inundation areas on individual alluvial fans, preliminary recognition of hazard areas at the regional scale can be adequately performed by less data-demanding methods, which enable priority ranking of channels and alluvial fans at risk by debris flows. This contribution focuses on a simple and fast procedure that has been implemented for regionalscale identification of debris-flow prone channels and prioritization of the related alluvial fans. The methodology is based on the analysis of morphometric parameters derived from Digital Elevation Models(DEMs). Potential initiation sites of debris flows are identified as the DEM cells that exceed a threshold of slope-dependent contributing area. Channel reaches corresponding to debris flows propagation, deceleration and stopping conditions are derived from thresholds of local slope. An analysis of longitudinal profiles is used for the computation of the runout distance of debris flows. Information on erosion-resistant bedrock channels and sediment availability surveyed in the field are taken into account in the applications. A set of software tools was developed and made available(https://github.com/Hydrogeomorphology Tools) to facilitate the application of the procedure. This approach, which has been extensively validated by means of field checks, has been extensively applied in the eastern Italian Alps. This contribution discusses potential and limitations of the method in the frame of the management of small mountain watersheds.

Comparison of Three Delineation Methods Using the Curve Number Method to Model Runoff

Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are spatial grids which are used to automate watershed boundary determination. Sinks are present within most DEMs. In order to easily process the watershed boundary, the sinks are reassigned to elevation equivalent to an adjacent cell. The derived DEM is called a “filled” DEM. Due to its relative simplicity, the use of the “filled” DEM is one of the most widely used methods to delineate watershed boundaries and works well in about 70 percent of the watersheds in the US. In landscapes with internal drainage, sinks may accurately represent these depressions. In this study, we compare two delineation methods that do not fill in sinks to another method that does fill in sinks. We examined ten gaged watersheds in Wisconsin and Minnesota. We found the spatial extent of the watersheds from the three methods were significantly different. To evaluate the delineation methods, we modeled ten runoff events using the Curve Number (CN) method and compared them to USGS gage discharge for each watershed. For small storms we found that there were no significant differences in the modeled runoff for three delineation methods. For large storms, we found the no-fill methods had a smaller error, but overall the difference was insignificant. This research suggests that capturing internal drainage by the delineation does not have much of an impact on the widely used CN model.

Scenario analysis for reduction of pollutant load discharged from a watershed by recycling of treated water for irrigation

A model in which a river model was layered on a distributed model （double-layered model） was developed to analyse the transport of water and pollutants （nitrogen, phosphorus, and BOD as organic matter） in watersheds and rivers. The model was applied to the watershed of Abragafuchi Lake, Japan, where serious water pollution has occurred over three decades, and the applicability of the model was demonstrated. Scenarios of recycling of sewage treated-water into agriculture to reduce pollutant load discharged into the lake were analysed. The results showed that irrigating paddy fields with the sewage-treated water could contribute to conserving water and reducing pollutant load, with reduction rate in BOD, nitrogen, and phosphorus ranging from 6%-36%, 16%-46%, and 18%-51%, respectively. Particularly, the results indicated that, irrigating paddy fields with the treated water during non-cropping periods and the accompanying reduction in withdrawn water from the river were more effective in reducing pollutant loads discharged into the lake. Further study is required on the effect of recycled water on crop cultivation and soil conditions for safe implementation.

System engineering for water pollution control at the watershed level in China

The present water pollution situation at watershed level in China has been systematically analyzed.The causes of water pollution are attributed to the extensive economic developmental pattern,poor wastewater treatment,and a lack of nonpoint pollution control.The problems of water pollution control at watershed level include a lack of thought and approach,developmental delay in the environmental standard system,an inadequate monitoring ability,and an inefficient implementation of laws and regulations.From 2006 to 2020,water pollution control and governance will be a national key specific project of science and technology in China.The strategies of this project include establishing a water pollution control system at watershed level,orienting a healthy aquatic ecosystem,conducting risk management,and using comprehensive methods.The goal is to establish and complete a technological system of pollution control and management in three five-year phases.The main tasks are to develop common technologies,management systems,and mechanisms for lake eutrophication control,river pollution control,urban water environmental pollution control,potable water safety,and water environmental management.The bottlenecks of water pollution control and management in China could be systematically removed,and the demonstration of the system engineering approach will be conducted at selected key watersheds.

Restore or retreat? Saltwater intrusion and water management in coastal wetlands

Coastal wetlands perform a unique set of physical,chemical,and biological functions,which provide billions of dollars of ecosystem services annually.These wetlands also face myriad environmental and anthropogenic pressures,which threaten their ecological condition and undermine their capacity to provide these services.Coastal wetlands have adapted to a dynamic range of natural disturbances over recent millennia,but face growing pressures from human population growth and coastal development.These anthropogenic pressures are driving saltwater intrusion(SWI)in many coastal systems.The position of coastal wetlands at the terrestrial-marine interface also makes them vulnerable to increasing rates of sealevel rise and changing climate.Critically,anthropogenic and natural stressors to coastal wetlands can act synergistically to create negative,and sometimes catastrophic,consequences for both human and natural systems.This review focused on the drivers and impacts of SWI in coastal wetlands and has two goals:(1)to synthesize understanding of coastal wetland change driven by SWI and(2)to review approaches for improved water management to mitigate SWI in impacted systems.While we frame this review as a choice between restoration and retreat,we acknowledge that choices about coastal wetland management are context-specific and may be confounded by competing management goals.In this setting,the choice between restoration and retreat can be prioritized by identifying where the greatest return in ecosystem services can be achieved relative to restoration dollars invested.We conclude that restoration and proactive water management is feasible in many impacted systems.

Importance of considering nutrient loadings from small watersheds to a lake-A case study of the Lake Shinji watershed,Shimane Prefecture,Japan

Nutrient loadings from upstream watersheds can have significant impacts on the water quality of receiving water bodies.Usually,a major river is selected as the target for water quality studies,and the impact of minor rivers tends to be ignored.It is very important to evaluate whether the impact of small rivers on the downstream water quality is negligible.River water sampling and discharge modeling using SWAT were used to analyze the contribution of small rivers to water quality in a receiving lake.From this analysis,it was determined that the inflowing total nitrogen(TN)and total phosphorus(TP)concentrations from all target rivers exceeded the lake water environmental standards set by the Ministry of the Environment.The contribution of suspended sediment(SS)and TN loads from small rivers did not vary markedly compared with their relative discharge contributions to the lake,at approximately 20%.However,the impact on TP loads to the lake from small rivers was 9.1%higher than their relative flow contributions,accounting for 28.2% of the TP loading.Thus,there is a potential to underestimate the impact of ungauged small rivers if only the major river is selected to evaluate the downstream lake water quality.

Assessing the health and ecological security of a human induced watershed in central iran

Assessment of the watershed health and associated ecological security is crucial for the proper land resources management,notably when sufficient money and time have lacked.The present study aimed to prepare health and ecological security for the Pishkuh Watershed in Yazd Province,central Iran.To prepare the health atlas of the Pishkuh Watershed,the conceptual framework of pressure,state,response(PSR)was employed.The pressure index was investigated by analyzing the driving forces of natural and human-induced factors.Then,the existing conditions of the natural environment and the watershed performance were analyzed using the state index.Besides,the response index was also calculated as a criterion for expressing the degree of community response or different watershed outcomes to the driving forces imposed on the watershed system.The study results revealed that some 91 and 9%of the watershed were classified as moderately healthy and relatively unhealthy.The results of the ecological security index further showed that some 41%of the area was categorized as relatively poor status.The results of the current study can be used by local managers and decision-makers to adaptively designate appropriate,economic,and goal-targeted solutions for the resources management in the region.

Priority areas for watershed service conservation in the Guapi-Macacu region of Rio de Janeiro,Atlantic Forest,Brazil

Introduction:Land use intensification and urbanisation processes are degrading hydrological ecosystem services in the Guapi-Macacu watershed of Rio de Janeiro.A proposal to pay farmers to restore natural watershed services might be an alternative to securing the water supply in the long-term for the around 2.5 million urban water users in the study region.This study quantifies the costs of changing current land use patterns to enhance watershed services and compares these costs to the avoided costs associated with water treatment for public supply.Methods:We use farm-household data to estimate the opportunity costs of abandoning current land uses for the recovery of natural vegetation;a process that is very likely to improve water quality in terms of turbidity due to reduced inputs from erosion.Opportunity cost estimates are extrapolated to the watershed scale based on remote sensing land use classifications and vulnerability analysis to identify priority zones for watershed management interventions.To assess the potential demand for watershed services,we analyse water quality and treatment cost data from the main local water treatment plant.Results:Changing agricultural land uses for watershed services provision generally comes at high opportunity costs in our study area near to the metropolis of Rio de Janeiro.Alternative low cost watershed conservation options do exist in the livestock production sector.These options have the potential to directly reduce the amount of sediments and nutrients reaching the water bodies,and in turn decrease the costs of treatment needed for drinking water.Land cover changes at the scale needed to improve water quality will,nonetheless,likely exceed the cost of additional investments in water treatment.Conclusions:The state water utility company’s willingness to pay for watershed services alone will not be enough to induce provision of additional watershed services.We conclude that monetary incentives conditioned on specific adjustments to existing production systems could still have a complementary role to play in improving watershed services.However,we note that our willingness to pay analysis focusses on only one of the potentially wide range of ecosystem services provided by natural vegetation in the Guapi-Macacu watershed.Factoring these ecosystem services into the willingness to pay equation is likely to change our assessment in favour of additional conservation action,be it through PES or other policy instruments.