ABSTRACT
Green infrastructure (GI) is a strategic spatial planning tool with the potential to directly influence the delivery of ecosystem services. Within GI, key components strongly linked to the hydrological cycle include streams and valley bottoms, headwater systems and maximum infiltration areas. This chapter delves into the assessment of ecosystem services related to the hydrological cycle and water flow regulation. It considers the capacity of vegetation and soil to infiltrate, retain, and slowly release water. Moreover, it gauges the impact of changing from current land use to more sustainable alternatives.
To analyse this impact, this study evaluates the concentration-time within river basins for existing and future land-use scenarios. The impact of land-use change is determined by comparing three alternative scenarios with current land use. The results provide insights to understand how ecosystem restoration influences water-related GI and enhances the provision of ecosystem services.
The study is conducted in a landscape unit in the Centre Region of Portugal, characterised by the dominance of eucalyptus monocultures. The study area limits align with the boundaries of river basins, allowing for a focused analysis. This methodology has the advantage of being replicated and scaled up in accordance with the river basin characteristics.
