Evaluating and communicating cultural ecosystem services

Abstract

Integrating cultural ecosystem services into decision-making has been under-considered due to a number of key methodological gaps. The multidisciplinary demand of effective cultural ecosystem services research is one reason for this situation. This paper provides and tests a framework of complementary methods and presents an integrated evaluation and communication strategy for cultural ecosystem services. We incorporate research from the humanities, social sciences and environmental sciences to provide a methodological framework for valuing cultural ecosystem services through their spatial distribution and historical changes in Dublin Bay, a semi-urban multi habitat UNESCO biosphere coastal site. The results indicate that the cultural ecosystem services of Dublin Bay have changed historically, and that different values and services depend upon specific coastal habitats. The framework presented relies on mixed methods and contributes to narrowing the gap for lack of readily available data and broadening the number of services or benefits evaluated. This framework can also be used to answer a broader range of research questions, enhancing the contribution of multiple stakeholders and publics, making the dissemination of the results more accessible. We argue for the need for more ambitious multidisciplinary and participatory research to overcome challenges in putting cultural ecosystem service knowledge into practice.