Ecosystem service in the context of bioremediation scenarios

The paper discusses a field study on the topics of the Land Use Change (LUC) applied to the Ecosystem services (ES). Specially, the study focuses on the assessment of the value of ES through different option in LUC according to progressive findings of the European Project LIFE/ENV/IT/275 Ecoremed that has implemented a protocol for the bioremediation of contaminated soils in Campania region. The cultivation of no food crops (Poplar and Giant reed) is proposed as buffer crops waiting for the characterization of the areas. This facilitates the uptake of the mineral contaminants and the biodegradation of organic compounds reducing the risk for leaching and the run off of harmful contaminants that would occur on bare soils. The study aims at testing a proposal in approaching Land Use Change (LUC) adding socio-economic factors to the environmental topics. The research experience evaluated ES economic value through GIS tool and decision support software (ArcGIS/ILWIS), using literature data to assess the current value of the ES provided for such crops (€/ha/year) as benefits that people obtained from ecosystems. Some key scenarios have sorted out and compared through multicriteria analysis. Those scenarios are based on a large data set produced within the Life project activity. Moving from the deep knowledge of the environmental condition of the territory the study shows the alternative ES values of the Land Use Change starting from no-change scenario (Poplar and Giant reed), to abandonment. The discussion gives evidence that is possible to asses an increase of the ES value, both in case of a private and public action.