Ecosystem services provision, tourism and climate variability in shallow lakes: The case of La Salada, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Water ecosystem services have been widely explored within the context of climate change studies, becoming a key piece in addressing local water challenges and designing possible strategies for diminishing climate risks. This paper explores how ecosystem services provision in La Salada shallow lake, Argentina, including maintenance of the landscape for touristic and recreational activities, have been affected by changes in climate conditions according to the local stakeholders´ perception. After mapping and prioritizing ecosystem services using participatory research activities, it analyzes how this provision has evolved in response to the different precipitation scenarios already observed in the area. The results for the case of La Salada shallow lake indicate that there is not a clear relationship between precipitations and the key ecosystem services provided by the lake and their surrounding ecosystem, mainly due to the anthropogenic lake management, and that tourism does not seem to directly depend on climate conditions.