Ecosystem services management – linking ecology and economics

1. Ecosystem services management – linking ecology and economics Klara Hajdu – CEEWEB hajdu@ceeweb.org

2. Ecosystem services • those functions of ecosystems that directly or indirectly support human well-being • human well-being: • Security • Basic material for good life • Health • Good social relations • Freedom of choice and action

3. Ecosystem services • Supporting and regulating services • Provisioning services • Cultural services

4. Ecosystem services • Supporting services • Soil formation • Net primary production • Nutrient cycling • Water cycling • Pollination • ...

5. Ecosystem services • Regulating services • Climate regulation • Water regulation • Disease regulation • Pest regulation • Water purification, waste treatment • Natural hazard regulation • ...

6. Ecosystem services • Provisioning services • Food • Fresh water • Fiber, wood fuel • Biochemicals, natural medicines, pharmaceuticals • Genetic resources • ...

7. Ecosystem services • Cultural services • Spiritual and religious values • Aesthetic values • Social relations • Sense of place • Recreational values • ...

8. Ecosystem services • Trade-off relations between different services • Different scales • Monetary values (market methods, avoided cost, replacement cost, travel cost method, hedonic pricing, contingent valuation, etc.)

9. Ecosystem services management • Primarily for setting the objectives of management • Management for maintaining and enhancing ecosystem services • Helps to explain the effects of human policies and impacts on ecological functions and human well-being

10. Ecosystem services management • Weighting ecosystem services trade-offs require quantification: • Full ecological(-economic) models are the gold standard, but costly and time-consuming • Consider service changes (gradients) from the status quo under a finite set of management options – monetary or nonmonetary units (scales, ratings, ranking, etc.) • Intrinsic values, moral obligations can set limitations! • Nonlinearities, irreversibilities – precautionary value

11. Ecosystem services management When considering changes of several services • Value of service changes: V × ∆S • Uncertainties – using ranges • Other considerations (equity) – weighting services • Aggregation of different value changes OR discussion of disaggregated results

12. Ecosystem services management –case study I. Central Arizona-Phoenix • Mesic and xeric landscape management

13. Ecosystem services management –case study I.

14. Ecosystem services management –case study II. Agricultural ecosystem: Kellogg Biological station in Michigan • Three agricultural management options compared with traditional practices

15. Ecosystem services management –case study II.

16. Ecosystem services management –case study III. Agricultural watershed in Iowa • Production scenario • Water quality improvement scenario • Biodiversity enhancement scenario

17. Ecosystem services management –case study III.

18. Ecosystem services management –case study III.

19. Ecosystem services management –summary • Could be useful for considering ecosystems in their complexity at least to some extent • Helps defining management objectives through the quantifications of trade-offs • Requires knowledge of management options on service flows • Valuation of service changes is the most complicated, especially in monetary terms

20. Further reading • Farber et al. 2006. Linking ecology and economics for ecosystem management, BioScience Vol. 56. No. 2: 117- 129 • Millennium Ecosystem Assessment • Synthesis reports www.millenniumassessment.org • „TIME IS LIFE“ CD ROM prepared by CEEWEB

21. Thank you for your attention!