This paper develops and applies an integrated and participatory methodological framework to assess
land degradation in pastoral systems through an ecosystem services (ES) lens in a semi-arid region of
northern Nicaragua. We initially integrated local and scientific knowledge to assess ecological changes
and understand the links with ecosystem services supplied by the local grazing system. Hence, we
discuss land degradation features and test a state-and-transition ecological model, that is, we developed
jointly with local farmers the hypotheses to understand transitions between ecological states and these
hypotheses were then evaluated through an inventory of vegetation and an assessment of soil properties
and seed bank composition. The assessment reveals that shifts in ecological state do not cause permanent
soil properties changes, but that at a landscape scale they can limit production, affecting local
livelihoods. The framework proposed provided local farmers with relevant information and facilitated
communication with researchers, enabling them to use the co-constructed knowledge to implement
adaptive management strategies to improve local productive systems.