Chapter 5.2 - Ecosystem Services, Values, and Societal Perceptions of Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams

Abstract

Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits to human society that are directly attributable to the ecological functioning of ecosystems. To date, ES and their values in intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) have been largely overlooked. This chapter discusses ES provided by IRES, the economic values attached to them, and how current understanding of these services affects societal perception of IRES. Principal ES are identified and predictions are made about the level of their provision during different hydrological phases of IRES. Considering the benefits accruing from IRES, their ES are explored in terms of use and nonuse values. Examples are presented to demonstrate the use of economic techniques to estimate the economic value of a number of ES in IRES. Last, this chapter addresses how societal perceptions affect the valuation of IRES and their ES compared to perennial rivers and how these societal perceptions influence the management of IRES.