Provision of ecosystem services by the Aysén watershed, Chilean Patagonia, to rural households

How much do ecosystems contribute to the wellbeing of rural populations in developing nations? In this article we provide an answer to this question through an eco-social study of two provisioning ecosystem services (wood from native forest and clean water) of the Aysén watershed in northern Chilean Patagonia. Social data was gathered by means of a semi-structured survey to rural households while ecological data was obtained from the available literature and Chilean Government databases. Results show that provisioning ecosystem services contribute, on average, 148 USD per month (range: 155-345 USD) to the livelihood of rural households. We discuss the potential effect of rural wood exploitation on native forest coverage and the role of uncertainties in the available information.