Habitat Fragmentation Intensifies Trade-Offs between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Heathland Ecosystem in Southern England.

Justine E Cordingley,Adrian C Newton,Ralph T Clarke,James M Bullock,Robert J Rose

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0130004

Justine E Cordingley, Adrian C Newton + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130004

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Abstract

While habitat fragmentation represents a major threat to global biodiversity, its impacts on provision of ecosystem services are largely unknown. We analysed biodiversity value and provision of multiple ecosystem services in 110 fragments of lowland heathland ecosystems in southern England, in which vegetation dynamics have been monitored for over 30 years. Decreasing fragment size was found to be associated with a decrease in biodiversity and recreational values, but an increase in relative carbon storage, aesthetic value and timber value. The trade-off between either biodiversity or recreational values with the other ecosystem services therefore became more pronounced as heathland size decreased. This was attributed to a higher rate of woody succession in smaller heathland fragments over the past three decades, and contrasting values of different successional vegetation types for biodiversity and provision of ecosystem services. These results suggest that habitat fragmentation can reduce the potential for developing “win win” solutions that contribute to biodiversity conservation while also supporting socio-economic development. Approaches to multi-purpose management of fragmented landscapes should therefore consider the potential trade-offs in ecosystem services and biodiversity associated with fragmentation, in order to make an effective contribution to sustainable development.

Highlights

In recent years ecosystem services, or the benefits provided by ecosystems to people, have become a major international focus of research [1, 2, 3]
Objectives relating to the provision of ecosystem services have been incorporated into international policy initiatives relating to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) [11] and the recently developed Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services [12]
When ratios were calculated for recreational value rather than biodiversity, values for small heaths were more than double those of large heaths, for each of carbon storage, aesthetic and timber value. This investigation has provided the first evidence that habitat fragmentation can intensify trade-offs between biodiversity and ecosystem services, and between different ecosystem services

Summary

Introduction

In recent years ecosystem services, or the benefits provided by ecosystems to people, have become a major international focus of research [1, 2, 3]. There is an increasing focus on how assessments of ecosystem services can be linked to socioeconomic decision-making and associated policy, at both national and international scales [9, 10, 11]. Objectives relating to the provision of ecosystem services have been incorporated into international policy initiatives relating to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) [11] and the recently developed Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services [12]. Ecosystem services are becoming an increasingly tangible element of the global green economy, as a result of the widespread implementation of Payment for Ecosystem Service (PES) schemes [13, 14]

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