Áreas Verdes Urbanas y Áreas Naturales Protegidas: Una revisión de indicadores con énfasis en paisajes de humedales

Abstract

Urban Green Areas (UGA) and Natural Protected Areas (NPA) inserted in the urban fabric are evidence of the relationship and dependence of citizens on ecosystem services, from regulatory functions to the aesthetic experience. Identifying the categories of these services and indicators is important to know and evaluate the quality and efficiency in the functioning of these areas in the urban space. This paper presents an exhaustive literature review on the main indicators to evaluate these areas in urban spaces, with special interest in wetland landscapes, integrating two matrices; the first one of indicators and the second one of indexes, which have been used to evaluate the quality of ecosystem services offered by UVAs and PNAs. These matrices are the result of a systematic review based on the PRISMA method through literature search and selection. Finally, the findings show a reduced number of suitable indicators for the evaluation of wetland landscapes located in urban areas, since most of these indicators are used from the natural sciences and are generally used for the evaluation of vegetation cover and soil, leaving aside indicators that include water quality. This opens the discussion on the lack of indicators that equitably integrate all landscape orders and their ecosystem services, together with all landscape elements such as water resources.