Sociodemographic Factors and Land Use Shape Perceptions of Ecosystem Services in Reservoirs of Semiarid Regions

Abstract Community perceptions of ecosystem services are shaped by individuals’ local contexts and their direct interactions with the environment. Examining these relationships enables a better understanding of how human perceptions of ecosystem services are associated with anthropogenic environmental change. In this study, we assessed the relationship between ecosystem service perceptions in riverside communities of semiarid reservoirs and sociodemographic variables, as well as the extent to which different land uses and land covers influence these perceptions. Interviews were conducted with residents living along the margins of the Sumé, Poções, and Cordeiro reservoirs (Paraíba River Basin) and the Sabugí, Passagem das Traíras, and Cruzeta reservoirs (Piranhas-Açu River Basin) in Northeast Brazil. Overall, 84% of the ecosystem services perceived by respondents were provisioning services, 12% were cultural services, and only 4% were regulation and maintenance services. Nevertheless, reservoirs surrounded by larger forested areas presented higher proportions of perceived regulation and maintenance services, whereas those with greater human occupation showed higher proportions of perceived provisioning services. The perception of provision services was negatively correlated with forest cover and positively correlated with human occupation. These patterns indicate a gap in ecological awareness among riparian communities, potentially linked to anthropogenic pressures on these ecosystems. In conclusion, community perceptions of ecosystem services are strongly influenced by land use and land cover along reservoir margins, highlighting the potential value of the ecosystem services framework as a tool for the participatory management of these aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Environmental education and science outreach initiatives are essential to expanding local knowledge about ecosystem services.