Putting the Ecosystem Services idea at work: Applications on impact assessment and territorial planning

South America is experiencing profound land use and cover changes. Their consequences on the Ecosystem Services (ES) supply human well-being need to be diagnosed monitored in order support informed decisions both management territorial planning. The ES concept provides a key framework evaluate impacts nature. of spatially explicit indicators able characterize can turn operative framework, enabling for sustainability assessment. Supply Index (ESSI) synoptic indicator that estimates maps supporting regulating related water carbon dynamics from data provided by remote sensors free access wide spatial coverage. ESSI merges two attributes Normalized Difference Vegetation (NDVI) annual dynamics: average (NDVIMEAN, proxy total C gains) intra-annual coefficient variation (NDVICV, an seasonality). In this article we proposed objectives: 1) describe conceptual foundation gather empirical shows its ability explain spatial-temporal different ES, present new case assessment, 2) synthesize contribution socio ecosystem diagnosis, monitoring planning stages 8 existing cases application. We also explored links decision-making process diverse stakeholders including local research development institutions, NGOs government agents. Cases corresponded range situations humid dry forests grasslands, subcontinental scales southern America. found was successfully applied processes which helped better define interventions empower most vulnerable under environmental conflicts.