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Water-related ecosystem services (WES) critical to anthropogenic-related water security are being severely degraded, primarily due to climate and land-use change. Clarifying future trends in WES (i.e., water yield and water purification services) will contribute to water resource sustainability. However, most existing studies are single case studies and rarely consider the combined impacts of climate change and land-use change on ecosystem services, resulting in patterns that cannot be adequately summarized. In this study, the “Annual Water Yield” module of the InVEST model was used to estimate water yield and the “Nutrient Delivery Ratio” module was used to analyze water purification services. In order to compare the impacts of different natural conditions and geographic locations on water ecosystem services, 17 typical watersheds throughout China were selected as study areas. Coupled scenarios were also considered when setting climate and land-use scenarios to predict prospective (2020–2100) evolutionary trends in WES. The response of WES under different scenarios was also assessed. Results show that climate change is more likely to affect water yield services than water purification services. The impact of land use on water purification services is more pronounced than its impact on water yield services. Climate change contributed > 90 % to water yields in 15 out of the 17 watersheds, contributed 79.4 % in the Hei River watershed, while only contributing 11.2 % in the Yarkant River watershed. The influence of climate change on total nitrogen (TN) output in eight of the watersheds was greater than that of land-use change, especially in the Min River and Mintuo River watersheds, for which the contribution was > 95 %. Furthermore, water purification services in nine of the watersheds were more affected by land-use change, especially in the Dongting Lake and Hei River watersheds, for which the contribution was > 95 %. The aim of this study is to assist in the planning of sound water resource measures while developing sustainable management strategies to help relevant water resource sectors cope with prospective risks and challenges.

A scientific understanding of the trends of water-related ecosystem services (WESs) under different scenarios is crucial to improving WESs and maintaining ecological security. However, there is a lack of high-resolution land use simulation and assessment of WESs under the SSP-RCP scenarios, and the impacts of different land-use change (LUC) on WESs are not clear. This study focused on the Poyang Lake Basin (PYLB), utilizing the SSP-RCP scenarios, the PLUS model and the InVEST model to explore the dynamic changes of land use and WESs historically and in the future, and to reveal the impacts of specific LUC on WESs from 2000 to 2020. The results demonstrated that: (1) The forest land increased under both SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5 scenarios but increased first and then decreased under SSP5-8.5 scenarios; Cropland increased significantly under SSP5-8.5 scenarios, and the construction land showed an expansion trend under the three scenarios. (2) From 2000 to 2020, only the water purification capacity decreased, while the rest of the WESs increased. Under the SSP1-2.6 scenario, the overall benefits of the WESs in the PYLB were the highest. (3) Between 2000 and 2020, deforestation in the PYLB brought about the greatest increase in the water yield (+9.06 × 108 m3). The increase in the construction land brought about the most water conservation loss (−18.19 × 108 m3). Additionally, the forest expansion and cropland reduction brought about the largest increase in soil retention (+3.94 × 105 t and +4.79 × 105 t) and enhanced water purification, and the opposite was true for deforestation. The conclusions can provide an important basis for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the PYLB.

The megacity expansion that continues to occur in developing countries is an unavoidable trend at this stage, yet there exists a dearth of knowledge regarding the comprehensive impacts of urban expansion on water-related ecosystem services (WESs) within these areas. Taking Chengdu and Wuhan, two megacities in the upper and middle Yangtze River Economic Belt in China as the study area, this study first compare the magnitude, rate, spatial divergence, and the mode of urban expansion; then evaluate its impact on three typical types of WESs, i.e., water yield (WY), water purification (WP), and habitat quality (HQ) using spatial econometric models and bivariate Moran’s I. The research findings show that Chengdu’s suburbs tend to experience edge-based expansion along rivers, while Wuhan’s city center also spreads outward in edge-based from the river junctions of the Yangtze and Han rivers. Urban expansion negatively impacts all three types of WESs, and its effect in Chengdu is greater than in Wuhan. WY in the suburbs of Wuhan is severely impacted by urban expansion, while WP in the suburbs of Chengdu is as well. HQ in Chengdu’s city center suffers the largest negative impact. The study also reveals a spatial spillover effect of urban expansion, with extensive negative externalities on all WESs in the city centers of both cities and positive externalities on WY and WP in the southwestern suburbs of Chengdu. Based on these results, we suggest that megacities in developing countries should focus on protecting HQ in the city center and limiting cross-regional edge-based expansion in suburbs. Attention should be paid to the water-ecological protection of the suburb rivers. City managers should consider ecological zoning geared toward the conservation of WESs to address the adverse impacts of expansion.

“Taking the county as an important carrier to promote urbanization” has been identified as China’s most significant strategic planning for urban development. Exploring the level of coordination among both water-related ecosystem services (WES) and urbanization and analyzing their social and ecological drivers at the county-level can benefit in tackling various environmental challenges that arise as a result of the urbanization. This research examined the spatial and temporal variation of WES (i.e., water provision, soil conservation, and water purification services) in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2000 to 2018 through the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, and a quantitative assessment of urbanization level in terms of population, economy, and urban area increase. Then, coupling coordination degree (CCD) model was then used to assess the extent of coordinated growth of WES and urbanization. Finally, the GeoDetector model and the regionally weighted regression model were used to investigate the influence of multiple factors on the CCD The findings indicate that: 1) Each county unit in the YREB had a significantly higher level of urbanization from 2000 to 2018, with hotspots located primarily in the Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and in the vicinity of Wuhan and Chengdu. 2) The WES in the YREB varied considerably between years, but exhibited an upward tendency. 3) The CCD of WES and urbanization in the eastern portion of the YREB is higher than that in the western portion. The level of CCD was increasing but overall low. 4) Land use intensity, nighttime light intensity, and NDVI were the primary determinants of the CCD between WES and urbanization, with considerable heterogeneity in the driving forces between locations. To improve the coordination level between WES and urbanization, differentiated urbanization development schemes and ecological protection measures were proposed based on the findings.

The transformation of surface landscapes by human activities is the main driving factor that affects changes in ecosystem functions and ecological processes, significantly influencing the ability of regional water ecosystems to deliver products and services to human society. However, the relationship between landscape heterogeneity and multiple water ecosystem services and the mechanisms of dynamic change remain unclear, posing challenges for managing and enhancing ecosystem services through landscape management decisions. Taking the Zishui basin as an example, this study aimed to clarify the impact of landscape heterogeneity on water-related ecosystem services and relationships by analyzing the relative importance and comprehensive impacts of landscape structure composition and landscape spatial configuration changes on three ecosystem services (water production, soil conservation, and water purification). These services were quantified for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018 using the InVEST model. Furthermore, quantitative indices were constructed to assess the impact of landscape heterogeneity on water ecosystem services. The results show that annual water yield and soil conservation increased at first and then decreased from 2000 to 2018, with 24.48% and 22.50% overall decreases, respectively. In contrast, the total export of N and P decreased at first and then increased, with 3.65% and 5.18% overall increases, respectively. The contribution indices of landscape pattern changes to water yield, soil conservation, nitrogen export, and phosphorus export were 0.04%–2.02%, 0.08 × 10−2%–0.32 × 10−2%, 13.57%–70.05%, and 11.01%–68.22%, respectively, showing interannual and spatial differences. The impact of landscape pattern change on water-related ecosystem services mainly reflects intensity change, which does not change the dominant relationships. Both landscape composition and configuration have impacts on water-related ecosystem services, but the effects of composition are larger than those of configuration. Among them, the proportions of cultivated land, woodland, and construction land, along with changes in Shannon’s diversity index (SHDI), patch density (PD), and edge density (ED) have obvious influences on water-related ecosystem services and show nonlinear relationships. In summary, the impacts of landscape heterogeneity indicators on water-related ecosystem services have obvious category differences, interannual changes, and spatial differences. This study provides new insight into the driving effects of landscape pattern change on the supply of water-related ecosystem services and will provide a reference for practical land management applications and policy formulation of water ecosystem services.

Climate and land use/land cover (LULC) changes alter ecosystem services that directly and indirectly affect human well-being. The impacts of management scenarios and different climate scenarios on water-related ecosystem services are uncertain in the context of future LULC and climate change interactions. Therefore, here, we analyzed the impact of future climate change and land management scenarios on water-related ecosystem services by 2030 in the Jianghuai Ecological Economic Zone (JHEEZ). Water yield and water purification were modelled for 2030, and the models were built on LULC scenarios and climate scenarios by using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services Trade-offs (InVEST) model. We used the Beijing Normal University Earth system model (BNU-ESM) for the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, and we simulated four LULC scenarios using the future LULC simulation (FLUS) model. Four 2030 LULC scenarios, including rapid urbanization (RUS), farmland protection (FPS), ecological protection (EPS), and returning farmland to lakes scenario (RLS), were designed and compared with the year 2015 as the baseline. We found that the water yield of each LULC scenario under RCP4.5 had a decreasing trend: 10.41% (RUS), 12.43% (FPS), 13.69% (EPS), and 13.83% (RLS). However, the water yield increased under RCP8.5 and were 5.92%, 3.77%, 2.35%, and 2.18%, respectively. Water purification increased more in all LULC scenarios under the RCP8.5 than under RCP4.5. The water purification of all land-use scenarios from small to large was FPS, RUS, EPS, and RLS. Our results indicated that climate change had a greater impact than LULC on water yield, but LULC change had a greater impact on water purification. Our results provide scientific guidance for decision makers to develop better LULC policies to achieve sustainable water resource management in watershed-dominated regions. The integrated assessment approach to climate and land management also applies to other conditions to help achieve sustainable management.

Rainforests ensure fundamental water-related ecosystem services that are currently threatened by land-use change, in particular deforestation. Quantitative assessments of water-related ecosystem services have traditionally focused on the benefits linked to direct water availability for humans. Under this perspective, forests have been considered as water consumers, due to high interception and transpiration rates that reduce water flows available to downstream human activities. In contrast, their role as water suppliers through transpiration from tree canopies has often been neglected. Integrating this second perspective into assessments of water-related ecosystem services from forests and other land covers is key to providing a comprehensive support to decision-making processes on land-use change. In addition, specific indicators are necessary to incorporate the contribution of the different water balance components into ecosystem service assessment.In this paper, we investigate the use of water balance partitioning for the assessment of water-related ecosystem services. We use three water balance models (two existing ones and one developed in this study) and compare, via model simulations, water balance partitioning and water-related ecosystem services of a forested and a deforested area of the Brazilian State of Rondônia. Then, we propose a set of indicators that, based on the outputs of the models, provide a multidimensional characterization of different land-use types. Regardless of the model used, the values of these indicators for the selected case study consistently point out the key role of vegetation in regulating the water cycle. Forests act as effective indirect water suppliers for human activities and are key players in moisture recycling, thanks to high evapotranspiration rates (about 68% of total precipitation). Deforested areas, instead, act as direct suppliers of water flows for human activities due to higher drainage rates (about 50% of total precipitation).The proposed methodology helps highlight the importance of comprehensive water-related ecosystem services assessments. Moreover, the indicators quantitatively support the impact assessment of land-use change on the different processes involved in the water cycle and on human activities relying, directly or indirectly, on these processes.

[Display omitted] • 17 typical watersheds distributed across China are selected for comparative analysis. • Coupled climate and land-use scenarios are considered for prediction. • Climate change contributes > 90 % to water yields in 15 out of the 17 watersheds. • Water purification services in 9 watersheds are mainly affected by land-use change. Water-related ecosystem services (WES) critical to anthropogenic-related water security are being severely degraded, primarily due to climate and land-use change. Clarifying future trends in WES (i.e., water yield and water purification services) will contribute to water resource sustainability. However, most existing studies are single case studies and rarely consider the combined impacts of climate change and land-use change on ecosystem services, resulting in patterns that cannot be adequately summarized. In this study, the "Annual Water Yield" module of the InVEST model was used to estimate water yield and the "Nutrient Delivery Ratio" module was used to analyze water purification services. In order to compare the impacts of different natural conditions and geographic locations on water ecosystem services, 17 typical watersheds throughout China were selected as study areas. Coupled scenarios were also considered when setting climate and land-use scenarios to predict prospective (2020–2100) evolutionary trends in WES. The response of WES under different scenarios was also assessed. Results show that climate change is more likely to affect water yield services than water purification services. The impact of land use on water purification services is more pronounced than its impact on water yield services. Climate change contributed > 90 % to water yields in 15 out of the 17 watersheds, contributed 79.4 % in the Hei River watershed, while only contributing 11.2 % in the Yarkant River watershed. The influence of climate change on total nitrogen (TN) output in eight of the watersheds was greater than that of land-use change, especially in the Min River and Mintuo River watersheds, for which the contribution was > 95 %. Furthermore, water purification services in nine of the watersheds were more affected by land-use change, especially in the Dongting Lake and Hei River watersheds, for which the contribution was > 95 %. The aim of this study is to assist in the planning of sound water resource measures while developing sustainable management strategies to help relevant water resource sectors cope with prospective risks and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • We proposed a framework integrating SSP-RCP scenarios, PLUS model and InVEST model. • The trends of land use and WESs under the three future SSP-RCP scenarios were different. • It was found that LUC was not the main influencing factor for the change of WESs in the PYLB. A scientific understanding of the trends of water-related ecosystem services (WESs) under different scenarios is crucial to improving WESs and maintaining ecological security. However, there is a lack of high-resolution land use simulation and assessment of WESs under the SSP-RCP scenarios, and the impacts of different land-use change (LUC) on WESs are not clear. This study focused on the Poyang Lake Basin (PYLB), utilizing the SSP-RCP scenarios, the PLUS model and the InVEST model to explore the dynamic changes of land use and WESs historically and in the future, and to reveal the impacts of specific LUC on WESs from 2000 to 2020. The results demonstrated that: (1) The forest land increased under both SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5 scenarios but increased first and then decreased under SSP5-8.5 scenarios; Cropland increased significantly under SSP5-8.5 scenarios, and the construction land showed an expansion trend under the three scenarios. (2) From 2000 to 2020, only the water purification capacity decreased, while the rest of the WESs increased. Under the SSP1-2.6 scenario, the overall benefits of the WESs in the PYLB were the highest. (3) Between 2000 and 2020, deforestation in the PYLB brought about the greatest increase in the water yield (+9.06 × 108 m3). The increase in the construction land brought about the most water conservation loss (−18.19 × 108 m3). Additionally, the forest expansion and cropland reduction brought about the largest increase in soil retention (+3.94 × 105 t and +4.79 × 105 t) and enhanced water purification, and the opposite was true for deforestation. The conclusions can provide an important basis for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the PYLB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A comparative study of urban expansion and WESs in two megacities was conducted. • In Chengdu, urban expansion had an edge-based pattern that encompassed city-wide. • In Wuhan, suburban expansion is growing rapidly due to leapfrogging development. • Urban expansion has larger negative effects on WY and WP in Wuhan's suburbs. • Ecological land in the megacities' center suffered from indirect loss of WESs. The megacity expansion that continues to occur in developing countries is an unavoidable trend at this stage, yet there exists a dearth of knowledge regarding the comprehensive impacts of urban expansion on water-related ecosystem services (WESs) within these areas. Taking Chengdu and Wuhan, two megacities in the upper and middle Yangtze River Economic Belt in China as the study area, this study first compare the magnitude, rate, spatial divergence, and the mode of urban expansion; then evaluate its impact on three typical types of WESs, i.e., water yield (WY), water purification (WP), and habitat quality (HQ) using spatial econometric models and bivariate Moran's I. The research findings show that Chengdu's suburbs tend to experience edge-based expansion along rivers, while Wuhan's city center also spreads outward in edge-based from the river junctions of the Yangtze and Han rivers. Urban expansion negatively impacts all three types of WESs, and its effect in Chengdu is greater than in Wuhan. WY in the suburbs of Wuhan is severely impacted by urban expansion, while WP in the suburbs of Chengdu is as well. HQ in Chengdu's city center suffers the largest negative impact. The study also reveals a spatial spillover effect of urban expansion, with extensive negative externalities on all WESs in the city centers of both cities and positive externalities on WY and WP in the southwestern suburbs of Chengdu. Based on these results, we suggest that megacities in developing countries should focus on protecting HQ in the city center and limiting cross-regional edge-based expansion in suburbs. Attention should be paid to the water-ecological protection of the suburb rivers. City managers should consider ecological zoning geared toward the conservation of WESs to address the adverse impacts of expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • UL and WES in YREB present an increasing trend from 2000 to 2018. • CCD exhibits a pattern of high in the east and low in the west. • Coupling relationship at most counties became more coordinated over time. • Land use intensity, nighttime light intensity and NDVI are determinants of the CCD. • Combining GeoDetector and GWR enables better analysis of driving mechanisms. "Taking the county as an important carrier to promote urbanization" has been identified as China's most significant strategic planning for urban development. Exploring the level of coordination among both water-related ecosystem services (WES) and urbanization and analyzing their social and ecological drivers at the county-level can benefit in tackling various environmental challenges that arise as a result of the urbanization. This research examined the spatial and temporal variation of WES (i.e., water provision, soil conservation, and water purification services) in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2000 to 2018 through the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, and a quantitative assessment of urbanization level in terms of population, economy, and urban area increase. Then, coupling coordination degree (CCD) model was then used to assess the extent of coordinated growth of WES and urbanization. Finally, the GeoDetector model and the regionally weighted regression model were used to investigate the influence of multiple factors on the CCD The findings indicate that: 1) Each county unit in the YREB had a significantly higher level of urbanization from 2000 to 2018, with hotspots located primarily in the Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and in the vicinity of Wuhan and Chengdu. 2) The WES in the YREB varied considerably between years, but exhibited an upward tendency. 3) The CCD of WES and urbanization in the eastern portion of the YREB is higher than that in the western portion. The level of CCD was increasing but overall low. 4) Land use intensity, nighttime light intensity, and NDVI were the primary determinants of the CCD between WES and urbanization, with considerable heterogeneity in the driving forces between locations. To improve the coordination level between WES and urbanization, differentiated urbanization development schemes and ecological protection measures were proposed based on the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Effects of landscape composition on WESs are larger than those of configuration. • Landscape pattern only changes the intensity, not the dominant relationship. • There is a non-linear relationship between landscape pattern indicators and WESs. • The results may be misunderstood by the method of space-for-time. The transformation of surface landscapes by human activities is the main driving factor that affects changes in ecosystem functions and ecological processes, significantly influencing the ability of regional water ecosystems to deliver products and services to human society. However, the relationship between landscape heterogeneity and multiple water ecosystem services and the mechanisms of dynamic change remain unclear, posing challenges for managing and enhancing ecosystem services through landscape management decisions. Taking the Zishui basin as an example, this study aimed to clarify the impact of landscape heterogeneity on water-related ecosystem services and relationships by analyzing the relative importance and comprehensive impacts of landscape structure composition and landscape spatial configuration changes on three ecosystem services (water production, soil conservation, and water purification). These services were quantified for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018 using the InVEST model. Furthermore, quantitative indices were constructed to assess the impact of landscape heterogeneity on water ecosystem services. The results show that annual water yield and soil conservation increased at first and then decreased from 2000 to 2018, with 24.48% and 22.50% overall decreases, respectively. In contrast, the total export of N and P decreased at first and then increased, with 3.65% and 5.18% overall increases, respectively. The contribution indices of landscape pattern changes to water yield, soil conservation, nitrogen export, and phosphorus export were 0.04%–2.02%, 0.08 × 10−2%–0.32 × 10−2%, 13.57%–70.05%, and 11.01%–68.22%, respectively, showing interannual and spatial differences. The impact of landscape pattern change on water-related ecosystem services mainly reflects intensity change, which does not change the dominant relationships. Both landscape composition and configuration have impacts on water-related ecosystem services, but the effects of composition are larger than those of configuration. Among them, the proportions of cultivated land, woodland, and construction land, along with changes in Shannon's diversity index (SHDI), patch density (PD), and edge density (ED) have obvious influences on water-related ecosystem services and show nonlinear relationships. In summary, the impacts of landscape heterogeneity indicators on water-related ecosystem services have obvious category differences, interannual changes, and spatial differences. This study provides new insight into the driving effects of landscape pattern change on the supply of water-related ecosystem services and will provide a reference for practical land management applications and policy formulation of water ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Water-related ecosystem services were evaluated under four LULC scenarios and two climate scenarios. • The RCP4.5 scenario reduced water yield, while the RCP8.5 scenario increased water yield. • Climate change will be the major driver of water yield. • Land use/cover change will be the major driver of water purification. • The returning farmland to lakes scenario reduced water yield but increased water purification. Climate and land use/land cover (LULC) changes alter ecosystem services that directly and indirectly affect human well-being. The impacts of management scenarios and different climate scenarios on water-related ecosystem services are uncertain in the context of future LULC and climate change interactions. Therefore, here, we analyzed the impact of future climate change and land management scenarios on water-related ecosystem services by 2030 in the Jianghuai Ecological Economic Zone (JHEEZ). Water yield and water purification were modelled for 2030, and the models were built on LULC scenarios and climate scenarios by using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services Trade-offs (InVEST) model. We used the Beijing Normal University Earth system model (BNU-ESM) for the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, and we simulated four LULC scenarios using the future LULC simulation (FLUS) model. Four 2030 LULC scenarios, including rapid urbanization (RUS), farmland protection (FPS), ecological protection (EPS), and returning farmland to lakes scenario (RLS), were designed and compared with the year 2015 as the baseline. We found that the water yield of each LULC scenario under RCP4.5 had a decreasing trend: 10.41% (RUS), 12.43% (FPS), 13.69% (EPS), and 13.83% (RLS). However, the water yield increased under RCP8.5 and were 5.92%, 3.77%, 2.35%, and 2.18%, respectively. Water purification increased more in all LULC scenarios under the RCP8.5 than under RCP4.5. The water purification of all land-use scenarios from small to large was FPS, RUS, EPS, and RLS. Our results indicated that climate change had a greater impact than LULC on water yield, but LULC change had a greater impact on water purification. Our results provide scientific guidance for decision makers to develop better LULC policies to achieve sustainable water resource management in watershed-dominated regions. The integrated assessment approach to climate and land management also applies to other conditions to help achieve sustainable management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Water balance partitioning is used to assess water-related ecosystem services. • We propose a set of indicators including both demand- and supply-side perspectives. • Water balance in forest and pasture areas of the Amazon is assessed with 3 models. • Rainforests are important green water suppliers compared to deforested lands. • Forests greatly support provisioning, regulating and supporting ecosystem services. Rainforests ensure fundamental water-related ecosystem services that are currently threatened by land-use change, in particular deforestation. Quantitative assessments of water-related ecosystem services have traditionally focused on the benefits linked to direct water availability for humans. Under this perspective, forests have been considered as water consumers, due to high interception and transpiration rates that reduce water flows available to downstream human activities. In contrast, their role as water suppliers through transpiration from tree canopies has often been neglected. Integrating this second perspective into assessments of water-related ecosystem services from forests and other land covers is key to providing a comprehensive support to decision-making processes on land-use change. In addition, specific indicators are necessary to incorporate the contribution of the different water balance components into ecosystem service assessment. In this paper, we investigate the use of water balance partitioning for the assessment of water-related ecosystem services. We use three water balance models (two existing ones and one developed in this study) and compare, via model simulations, water balance partitioning and water-related ecosystem services of a forested and a deforested area of the Brazilian State of Rondônia. Then, we propose a set of indicators that, based on the outputs of the models, provide a multidimensional characterization of different land-use types. Regardless of the model used, the values of these indicators for the selected case study consistently point out the key role of vegetation in regulating the water cycle. Forests act as effective indirect water suppliers for human activities and are key players in moisture recycling, thanks to high evapotranspiration rates (about 68% of total precipitation). Deforested areas, instead, act as direct suppliers of water flows for human activities due to higher drainage rates (about 50% of total precipitation). The proposed methodology helps highlight the importance of comprehensive water-related ecosystem services assessments. Moreover, the indicators quantitatively support the impact assessment of land-use change on the different processes involved in the water cycle and on human activities relying, directly or indirectly, on these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]