Ecosystem services under different intensities of land use managed by family farmers

Information about the socioecological systems around protected areas is vital for conservation planning in multifunctional landscapes. It is essential to investigate land use by local communities and ecological data from native areas. Different ecosystem dynamics affect the provision of ecosystem services, which in turn alter human outcomes. Family farming has several land uses that must be considered when estimating ecosystem services. We investigated agricultural settlements adjacent to full protection conservation units in the Cerrado biome of Central Brazil, focusing on the variation in ecosystem services and their correlations with biodiversity data in different land uses by family farmers. We carry out forest inventories to estimate three ecosystem services: carbon storage, provision of edible native fruits and habitat provision. The highest estimates for ecosystem services are in native areas destined for agroextractive purposes. A strong positive correlation was found between the diversity index and carbon storage, indicating that more diverse areas are generally more effective at capturing and storing carbon. This study highlights the importance of understanding the ecological benefits of different land uses to support management strategies, inform public policies, and provide financial incentives to family farmers.