Policy-oriented ecosystem services research on tropical forests in South America: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Tropical forests are widely recognized for providing valuable ecosystem services (ES), but their existence is increasingly under pressure. The production of policy-relevant ES science is important to effectively convey their value. The main objective of this review is to insight into the associations between scientific knowledge, policy domains and ES categories to identify gaps for advancing further research and improve ES policy-making. For this purpose, we developed a classification system and conducted a systematic review of publications between 2000 and 2020 that focus on the Amazon, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest, the main tropical forest and tropical savannah biomes of South America. The review results indicated high heterogeneity across the biomes. Valuation studies were least prominent in comparison with other categories, whereas descriptive studies dominated ES science in South America. Scientific contributions tended to cluster around central themes of global environmental governance, including GHG emissions. The research peaks and gaps identified for the three biomes can stimulate new knowledge production efforts and inform regionally specific evidence-based policies for enhancing ES programs and policies in South America.