The effect of payments for ecosystem services on forest cover, land use, and capacity building in northern Mexico

The endorreic watershed of Laguna de Santiaguillo, located in Durango, Mexico, provides important ecosystem services to local communities. Due to its size and forest diversity, it is the refuge for many reptiles and migratory birds. It captures a large amount of carbon dioxide in its soil and vegetation, all while catching the water that will then be used for agriculture and aquifer recharge. To improve these ecosystem services, as well as maintain a collaborative relationship with the watershed, several community-owned properties in this area, known as ejidos, enrolled in a federally supported Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) program. This program grants economic subsidies to landowners to help protect forest resources. However, there is little information on the effect that this program has on these types of community-owned properties. Through a spatial analysis, the vegetation index was estimated, as well as the impact that this program has had on the communities and their resources. A Difference-in-Differences (DiD) method was used to test for differences in remotely sensed vegetation cover and land use between PES and non-PES ejido recipients. Socioeconomic indicators, obtained from surveys, were also evaluated. Results show that changes in vegetation cover and land use were significant in secondary forests but not in primary forests in the selected periods. The overall difference, given by the DiD model, show no significant differences in land use changes. This study can help resource managers to monitor the additionality on forest resources and internal organization of ejido participants.