Master Thesis (Data): Bridging Gaps in Targeting Criteria for a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) Program in southern Chile

This data is part of a master thesis conducted and generated by a sustainability science master student, Katharina Kuhls, on behalf of Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Germany. The thesis is supervised and guided by Prof. Dr. Joern Fischer, Dr. Felipe Benra and Dr. María José Martínez-Harms. The master thesis deals with a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) design in southern Chile and spatial targeting. The objetive was to identify context-sensitive environmental, social, and economic target criteria through local expert consulation. A further key objective involved the spatial identification of priority target areas at the property level. A spatial Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was employed alongside a consultation via a web-based expert survey. The insights were applied in a spatial analysis focused on Río Bueno, a municipality in southern Chile characterized by significant land-use change, fragmentation, and social inequalities. Empasize was placed on incorporating dimensions of social justice into ES conservation. The uploaded data compromises the following: Anonymized Survey Data & Questionnaire (both in Spanish and English) Spatial Analysis & Data: Digitized properties of Río Bueno Individual criteria mapping Suitability Analysis & Property Ranking Output (incl. high resolution maps) Sensitivity Analysis & Property Ranking Output (incl. high resolution maps)