Abstract
Sustainable management promises to improve the conservation and utilization of ecosystem services and their contribution to human wellbeing through management plans. This paper explores the concept of characterization and integration of ecosystem services in a management planning concept. The integration process involves the identification, quantification, valuation, assessment, and monitoring of ecosystem services over time. The quantification of common ecosystem services, such as soil erosion, water conservation, recreation, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration was explored. A framework was developed to integrate ecosystem services into management planning process. Ecosystem services are classified as provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services with a defined typology. The conceptual framework acts as an organizing structure and it serves as a model for the management of ecosystems with their contribution to human wellbeing. Ecosystem management with multi-criteria decision techniques, information technologies and a structured participation is a proposed approach for the sustainable management of ecological, economic, and socio-cultural functions. Establishing the quantitative relationships between ecosystem services and societal benefits is essential. The provision of a universally accepted clear measurement of regulating, supporting, and cultural services is challenging. A commitment, vision, and strong willingness are required to adopt policies, regulations, and management objectives in planning. Integration can only be realized with prioritizing ecosystem services with the involvement of stakeholders. Substantial understanding of both the ecological and social systems is a prerequisite for sustainable management of ecosystem services. The ecosystem services with significant benefits to the wellbeing of society should primarily be characterized, their relative importance be weighted, and prioritized through a participatory approach. A holistic approach with a comprehensive decision support system is essential in forecasting the future provision of ecosystem services and assessing the trade-off analysis, resulting in better policy formulation before on-the-ground implementation.
Highlights
Ecosystem services (ES) are the baskets of benefits that are produced and provided by the ecosystems from which the people benefit [1]
The real essence of the ES is undervalued, because of economic and political insufficiencies, indifferences, and weaknesses—economic invisibility of nature—in accounting the value of the nature [11]. This might be due to a lack of funding, lack of legal infrastructure, or technical inabilities, such as insufficient quantification process coupled with traditionally free use perception embedded in the socio-economic structure
A solo timber production oriented forest management planning process is no longer a valid approach, as it merely schedules the flow of timber production
Summary
Ecosystem services (ES) are the baskets of benefits that are produced and provided by the ecosystems from which the people benefit [1]. This might be due to a lack of funding, lack of legal infrastructure, or technical inabilities, such as insufficient quantification process coupled with traditionally free use perception embedded in the socio-economic structure Understanding both the ecological and the social systems and developing sound policy and management interventions are critical in enhancing the contribution of ecosystems to human wellbeing by harmonizing the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems [2,4,12]. It is important to recognize the fact that anthropogenic disturbances have changed the capacity of the ecosystems to provide the appropriate levels of ES, mainly due to the degradation of natural resources that, in turn, results in the potentially irreversible loss of ecosystem functions and services, with the ultimate effect of reducing human wellbeing Such degradation problems cannot be solved, so long as ES are treated as free and limitless [1]. The paper conceptualizes the process of managing ES in a management planning concept by integrating the ES into the planning process and attempts to provide how the most prevalent ES can be quantified for integration
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