Landscape functioning and ecosystem service maintenance in the Dendê Coast, state of Bahia, Brazil

Abstract Brazil’s coastal zones exhibit landscapes of significant international ecological importance, serving as critical habitats for biodiversity and supporting the livelihoods of local populations. The state of Bahia, possessing the longest coastline among Brazil’s federative units, encompasses the Dendê Coastal Region, which contains the state’s most extensive protected remnant of native Atlantic Forest. This study aims to delineate and classify geoecological units at a cartographic scale of 1:250,000, integrating the inherent heterogeneity of the coastal environment, its systemic dynamics, energy and material fluxes, and the capacity of each unit to sustain ecosystem services. The analytical framework employed a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating physical-natural, socio-economic, and cultural parameters. Data sources included official governmental repositories and remote sensing technologies. The preliminary cartographic analysis considered variables such as geology, geomorphology, hydrography, pedology, vegetation physiognomy, and oceanographic conditions, alongside land use and land cover classification derived from WPM Camera imagery and CBERS 04 A satellite data. Geoprocessing techniques facilitated the identification of discrete territorial segments, referred to as geoecological units. A total of seventeen landscape units were delineated, each characterized by distinct geoecological processes and land use patterns, reflecting varying degrees of conservation and anthropogenic influence. More than 50% of the study area is under formal conservation. The maintenance of ecosystem services within these units is closely linked to the presence of traditional communities, whose practices, such as sustainable land stewardship, extractive economies, artisanal fisheries, and shellfish harvesting, contribute to the ecological resilience of mangrove forests, coastal tropical scrubland (restinga formations), and tropical forest ecosystems. These practices also support the integrity of hydrological services across riverine, estuarine, and marine domains within the coastal system.