Quantification of coastal ecosystem services in the Ligurian coast: application of InVEST software

In the coastal environment, the protection of ecosystems emphasises the interdependence of each part with the whole. Therefore, the importance and urgency of adopting effective strategies to combat climate change and conserve biodiversity to protect fragile coastal ecosystems are evident. In an area of the western Ligurian coast from Finale Ligure (SV) to Vado Ligure (SV), the study uses two models developed by Stanford University in the open source software InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs). This thesis aims to demonstrate how the value of Coastal Ecosystem Services and damage caused to marine phanerogams (Posidonia Oceanica and Cymodocea Nodosa) can be quantified in economic terms and in terms of coastal vulnerability. For the conservation of biodiversity, nature and coastal ecosystems in general, there are strands of economic studies that place the maintenance and replenishment of Natural Capital as the basis of economic and social development. This concept quantifies the importance of natural resources and ecosystem services for coastal populations. The Coastal Blue Carbon Model is used to assess Natural Capital, it quantifies the ecosystem services of climate regulation by calculating the amount of carbon stored and sequestered in a coastal zone due to a change in land cover. As a final result, the model estimates the economic value of sequestration €/(ha · year) as a function of the amount of carbon sequestered MtCO2E/(ha · year). On the other hand, the Coastal Vulnerability Model produces a quantitative estimate of erosion exposure in terms of the vulnerability index. It quantifies the ecosystem services of morpho sedimentary regulation using geospatial information on marine habitat loss and local data such as DTM, bathymetry, lithology and wind and wave data (WaveWatchIII format). Quantifying ecosystem services in terms of economics and coastal vulnerability may help dialogue between local coastal administrations and people concerned with environmental protection, in the hope that this will be an incentive for better conservation and protection towards sustainability.