How does the temporal relationship between ecosystem services and human wellbeing change in space and time? Evidence from Inner Mongolian drylands

Study on the relationship among the urbanization process, ecosystem services and human well-being in an arid region in the context of carbon flow: Taking the Manas river basin as an example

Evaluation of the relationship between ornamental plants – based ecosystem services and human wellbeing: A case study from Lefke Region of North Cyprus

Healthy ecosystems provide us with fertile soil, clean water, timber, and food. They reduce the spread of diseases. They protect against flooding. Worldwide, they regulate atmospheric concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide. They moderate climate. Without these and other “ecosystem services,” we’d all perish.1 One hallmark of the history of civilization is an ever-increasing exploitation of ecosystem services coupled with substitution of technology for these services, particularly where ecosystems have been exploited beyond their ability to provide.2 Agriculture is a hybrid of exploitation and substitution that enabled people to live in greater, denser populations that drove further exploitation and substitution. Modern plumbing made close quarters far less noxious but led to exploitation of ecosystems’ ability to break down sewage, and to substitution with expensive sewage treatment technologies. Exploitation of fossil fuels led to a slew of modern conveniences, including fishing fleets that are so effective at catching their prey that they threaten fisheries globally.3,4 All this exploitation strained ecosystems, but in the past, when the population was a fraction of what it is now, these strains were local rather than global phenomena. In 2005 the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA),5 a sweeping survey conducted under the auspices of the United Nations, found that approximately 60% of 24 ecosystem services examined were being degraded or used unsustainably.6 “Every year we lose three to five trillion dollars’ worth of natural capital, roughly equivalent to the amount of money we lost in the financial crisis of 2008–2009,” says Dolf de Groot, leader of the Research Program on Integrated Ecosystem Assessment and Management at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. The value of ecosystem services typically goes unaccounted for in business and policy decisions and in market prices. For commercial purposes, if ecosystem services are recognized at all, they are perceived as free goods, like clean air and water. So it’s not surprising that much of the degradation of ecosystems is rooted in what the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), an independent group of U.S. scientists and engineers, describes as “widespread under-appreciation of the importance of environmental capital for human well-being and . . . the absence of the value of its services from the economic balance sheets of producers and consumers.”7 PCAST and other groups are working to build recognition of ecosystem services and, importantly, to valuate them—that is, calculate values for these services to help policy makers and resource managers make rational decisions that factor important environmental and human health outcomes into the bottom line.

Relationships between ecosystem services and human well-being changes based on carbon flow—A case study of the Manas River Basin, Xinjiang, China

Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges of the 21st century, with profound impacts on ecosystem services that sustain human life and well-being. Ecosystem services are the benefits derived from natural systems encompass provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural services, all of which are crucial for food security, water supply, air quality, disease regulation and cultural identity. However, climate change is altering the dynamics of these services through rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, ocean acidification and more frequent extreme weather events. These changes affect biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and the ability of ecosystems to provide essential services. Over time, climate change may have a direct or indirect impact on the range and extents of ecosystem services in terms of both quality and quantity. The ecosystem’s supporting services (soil formation, biomass production, nutrient cycling, atmospheric oxygen production, and the water cycle), provisioning services (Food, drinking water, fabrics, plants, animal species, timber, wood fuel, fodder), regulating services (such as seed dispersal, decomposition, flood control, water management, carbon sequestration, climate regulation, and cross-pollination)all are affected due to climate change. In addition, cultural services such as tourism and leisure, aesthetics, cultural heritage, spiritual and religious values, education, social interactions, and ecotourism all will become less prevalent due to climate change. This write up examines the relationship between climate change and ecosystem services and to discuss the potential adaptation and mitigation strategies for the impacts of climate change on ecosystem services. It also highlights the urgent need for integrated approaches in conservation and policy development to protect both natural ecosystems and human well-being

A systematic review of cultural ecosystem services and human wellbeing

Global change is currently impacting ecosystems and their contributions to people (i.e. ecosystem services). These impacts have consequences for societies and human well-being, especially in Africa. Historically, efforts have focused on assessing global change from a social or biophysical perspective, treating them as separate entities. Yet, our understanding of impacts to social-ecological systems remains limited, particularly in the Global South, due to a lack of data, tools, and approaches accounting for social and ecological aspects of ecosystem services. This is especially relevant for cultural ecosystem services as they are less tangible. We use a simple indicator and important provider of a multitude of cultural ecosystem services, birding, to understand how climate, biodiversity, and land use change will impact cultural ecosystem services across Africa. We explore how emerging tools and data can overcome limitations in mapping and modeling cultural ecosystem services, particularly in analyzing human preferences and behavior at large spatiotemporal scales and in data-poor regions. Leveraging crowdsourced data from eBird and using machine learning techniques we map and model recreational birding to assess the underlying social-ecological relationships and the impact of future climate and environmental change. We show that bird species richness, protected areas, accessibility, and max temperature contribute most to birding suitability across the continent. Further, we show spatial shifts in the suitability of birding under three future climate scenarios (SSP126, 370, and 585). Models suggest climate and biodiversity change will increasingly constrain the flow of birding related cultural ecosystem services across Africa. This has implications for human-nature interactions, development of countries, management of protected areas, and overall human well-being in the future. More generally, we highlight opportunities for crowdsourced datasets and machine learning to integrate non-material ecosystem services in models and thus, enhance the understanding of future impacts to ecosystem services and human well-being.

以锡林郭勒盟为研究区域，建立人类福祉评价指标体系，通过牧户问卷调查了解牧户对草原生态系统服务和福祉变化的认识，结合当地的自然环境、生态环境和社会经济等多方面的多年统计数据，采用专家打分法对牧民各福祉指标打分，对2001年和2010年牧民福祉变化进行了评估和分析。结果表明：收入、道路覆盖率、农村合作医疗保险和文化教育方面对牧民福祉变化贡献最大；生产资料持续供给能力下降是导致收入减少的主要方面；旗县的犯罪率，环境空气质量，饮食结构，离婚率等是导致牧民福祉下降的主要方面。有关研究结果为提高锡林郭勒盟人类福祉、生态保护和区域可持续发展政策制定提供科学依据。;The relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being involves human activities and the formation of unity between nature, the economy and society. Human activities fall under the economic category, while society incorporates human well-being, with ecosystem services provided by natural systems. Human activities have caused changes in steppe ecosystem services in recent years, leading to a significant impact on the basic living standard and productivity of local herdsmen, with subsequent effects on their well-being. In addition to being the source of livelihood and sustenance for farmers and herdsmen, the grasslands of Inner Mongolia are also an important green ecological barrier in northern China, vital for maintaining the supply of fresh water, sustaining the regional carbon and nitrogen cycle, and preventing desertification. Although grassland degradation has been considered a serious environmental problem in Inner Mongolia for decades, a rigorous evaluation of its ecosystem service and human well-being is still lacking. In this paper we develop a series of indices to evaluate human well-being, using Xilinguole League, a significant area in Inner Mongolia, as a case study. In combination with statistical data on the local natural environment and economy, a questionnaire survey was taken to evaluate the changes in ecosystem services and the well-being of the herdsmen. The level of well-being of the herdsmen was calculated in 2001 and again in 2010. The results indicate that the level of well-being increased by about 30.1% during the study interval, from 47.8 in 2001 to 61.5 in 2010. During the past ten years, changes in income and resource acquisition have played important roles in the improvement of the herdsmen's well-being, with a contribution to the total change in well-being of 62.89% and 26.12%, respectively.Decreased productivity was the main reason for the reduction in the income of herdsmen, while compulsory education, rural co-operation medical insurance and eco-compensation, all increased health, safety and other aspects of well-being. The increase in crime rates, divorce rates and the decrease in air quality were the main factors in the reduction of well-being levels. The provision of ecosystem services is closely related to well-being. Some human activities, fuelled by increased demand, such as over-grazing, deforestation, coal mining, etc., change ecosystem services and can have a large impact on human health and well-being. In order to further improve human well-being, an alternative mode of animal husbandry should be developed. Readjustment of economic structures, and the reasonable use and effective protection of natural resources are necessary to achieve sustainable development and an increase in the income of herdsmen. Grassland ecological protection policies should continue to be implemented in order to restore the grassland ecosystem services. Eco-compensation in grassland habitats is one of the ways to increase income, although herdsmen hope remains that the government will improve the standard of compensation. Multiple financing channels for improved ecological compensation are important to increase the well-being of herdsmen, protect the ecological environment of grassland, and maintain social stability. Understanding how changes in the ecosystem services affect human well-being, and to what degree and via what mechanism, requires more precise data, and will be the focus of future work.

The importance of considering human well-being to understand social preferences of ecosystem services

Urban parks are important elements of city green infrastructure. Many studies highlight their positive influence on the quality of life and human well-being as well as their significance for sustaining natural processes in built-up areas. For the last decade, much has been written about urban ecosystem services (ES), however in comparison with the abundance of studies on the potential for delivering ecosystem services by different land use and land cover types, research on the capacity of parks to deliver these services depending on site-specific elements, is relatively uncommon. Thus, this paper reports on research that explored levels of local regulating and cultural ecosystem services delivered by Warsaw parks, as these services are considered as the most important for urban dwellers. The authors based the study on data included in existing policy documents related to environmental and spatial planning for Warsaw, and evaluation of Warsaw green spaces. The assessment included 10 ecosystem services: micro-climate regulation, air quality regulation, noise reduction, balancing rainwater peaks, recreation, social inclusion, physical health benefits, nature experiences, aesthetic appreciation, and sense of identity. The assessment was performed for all Warsaw public parks, covering an area over 2 ha (n = 82). The results enabled us: (1) to assess all parks with respect to their actual impact in delivering 10 studied ecosystem services; (2) to designate their potential capacity to deliver regulating and cultural services; and (3) to allocate all assessed parks into categories that represent their predominant character (multifunctional, with cultural advantage, with regulating advantage or without any predominant function).

As human demand for ecosystem services (ES) continues to increase, ES assessments have gradually become a popular research topic. Among ES, cultural ES (CES) are often overlooked and are difficult to measure during research because of their invisibility. However, the importance and usage of CES increase with supply and demand, which is key to linking the ecosystem with human well-being. This paper quantitatively evaluates various cultural services and generates corresponding Value Index (VI) maps; it then further explores the current dynamics of supply and demand. We selected Cuihua Mountain (CM) as the study area, and we applied the Social Values of Ecosystem Services (SolVES) model to evaluate CES and generated five specific VI maps to indicate the potential service stock (ES capacity). The actual supply (ES supply) is based on the attribute of the visibility of observation points on leisure routes, and the visitors (ES demand) to the service come from socio-economic data as a measure of the rates of access to entertainment venues. The supply and demand relationship (ES budget) solves the significant problems related to the oversupply and shortage of ES in space. The results showed that the CES supply power of CM is greater than the actual demand; thus, there is great potential for future development. This study also provided a reference and guidance for environmental decision-making and development in other regions.

One of the greatest challenges for sustaining the ecosystem services that we, as a society, derive from marine ecosystems is to minimize the knowledge gap relating to marine ecosystem values. That is, identifying, eliciting and understanding the economic value of the ecosystem services that marine systems provide for societies world-wide is key to ensuring sustainable resource use and environmental management of these ecosystems. This is particularly problematic for the ecosystem services derived from the deep sea as a tremendous knowledge gap exists for the many marine ecosystems that comprise the deep sea. Addressing this gap in knowledge may, directly and indirectly, facilitate actionable strategies for successful climate change adaptation and reduce the degradation of these important marine ecosystems. Estimating values for certain types of marine ecosystem services in particular the deep sea is imperative for understanding the economic trade-offs associated with human actions and resource use of marine resources. Identifying, exploring and understanding the economic benefits and costs associated with the human resource use of marine systems is also crucial for circumventing irreversible damage to ecosystems, and for addressing the growing problem of ecosystem degradation of marine ecosystems. However, a knowledge gap remains in terms of eliciting and understanding how vulnerable marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs and the deep-sea, generate economic value to local economies, and for societies on a global scale. By employing a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, this thesis explores the economic value of the ecosystems of coral reefs and the deep-sea, respectively. The thesis investigates various aspects of the economic contribution of these ecosystems, namely: (i) the local economic contribution of ) Fiji's coral reefs to tourism; and ii) the economic value of the deep- sea's ecosystems to human societies, globally. Moreover, it discusses the importance of exploring the social and non-monetary value of coral reefs to human well-being in the South Pacific Island Countries (SPICs). The research of this thesis therefore constitutes a genuine contribution to understanding how changes in these marine ecosystems impact on economies and human well-being, now and in the future. Although the full extent to which ecosystem degradation of marine ecosystems will impact economies and societies globally remains uncertain, its impacts are already being witnessed, e.g. through ocean acidification, sea-level rise, reduced fish stocks and changing environmental conditions. In turn, these impacts affect human survival and well-being by negatively impacting fishery incomes, food security and coastal protection in many countries around the world. Action and investment plans for reducing the ecosystem degradation of marine systems are urgently needed to protect the value of those ecosystem services to human societies. Deepening our understanding of marine ecosystems' economic contributions constitutes a crucial component of facilitating action plans and investments for sustainable resource use and development. Valuation of vulnerable marine ecosystems is important for several reasons. First, valuation of an ecosystem's contribution to society demonstrates the importance of that ecosystem for social stability, economic growth and human well-being, thereby improving public awareness of that ecosystem's significance. Second, ecosystem valuation can inform policy and decision-making for future conservation programs and legislation pertaining to the human use of marine resources. Third, ecosystem valuation creates important incentives to invest in the protection of marine systems as it outlines the connection between the ecological functioning of marine systems on the one hand, and economic output and stability on the other hand. Fourth, ecosystem valuation can also raise awareness about the importance of protecting biodiversity. Finally, ecosystem valuation of marine ecosystems is especially important for supporting decision-making related to the resource-use of marine ecosystems for which very limited information exists on their economic contribution. The thesis starts with an introduction and a literature review of the main themes and concepts along with the problems, challenges and opportunities associated with the ecosystem valuation of coral reefs and the deep-sea. Subsequently, the research studies of this thesis, which constitutes chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5 are presented. Specifically, chapter 2 explores the economic impacts of future (hypothetical) deep-sea mining activities on Fiji's tourism industry, through a contingent behaviour study; chapter 3 discusses the need for developing non-monetary and social ecosystem valuation methodology in order to elicit marine ecosystems' importance for human well-being in the SPICs; chapter 4 explores current knowledge about the deep-sea's economic value through a systematic review and meta-analysis; and chapter 5 identifies the four main priorities for future ecosystem valuation, policy-making and research pertaining to the deep-sea. This thesis makes a small but significant contribution to the knowledge base of the economic value of the ecosystems of coral reefs and the deep-sea, respectively, and to developing future ecosystem valuation by means of introducing the social willingness-to commit (Social WTCommit) technique. Finally, this thesis can contribute to policy-making, decision-making and legislation pertaining to the deep-sea and coral reefs, locally and globally.

The contribution of cultural ecosystem services to understanding the tourism–nature–wellbeing nexus

Current role of social benefits in ecosystem service assessments

生态系统服务作为生态系统评估的核心领域,是生态学的研究热点。生态系统提供服务的形式与能力受人类活动强烈影响,反之,生态系统服务的变化又影响着人类相关决策的制定。不同生态系统服务之间很难甚至不可能同时达到利益最大化,即存在着不同程度此消彼长的竞争关系。此外,不同生态系统服务之间也可能形成相互促进或抑制的协同作用。探讨不同生态系统服务的相互关系(竞争与协同作用),有利于揭示不同尺度利益相关方与生态系统服务之间的作用与反馈机制,避免生态系统服务的重复估算;同时可为制定与实施生态补偿、提高人类福祉提供科学依据,优化生态系统服务管理。综合研究了近期国外生态系统服务竞争关系与协同作用的相关文献,在简述当前生态系统服务研究若干问题的基础上,以生态系统服务竞争与协同为视角,厘清了生态系统服务竞争与协同的基本内涵,总结了生态系统服务竞争与协同的主要类型,探讨了生态系统服务竞争与协同的空间与时间尺度效应;介绍并总结了生态系统服务竞争与协同两种主要研究方法(生态-经济综合模型方法、基于土地利用的情景分析法)的特点与适应范围。;Being the core of ecosystem assessment, studies on ecosystem services have been becoming a focus in the field of ecology. The formation and provisioning capacity of ecosystem services are tremendously affected by human activities. Conversely, the magnitudes of ecosystem service changes also influence the preferences of human being's daily decision-making. Investigation into the dynamics of the trade-offs and synergistic relationships of regional ecosystem services will shed light on interactions and feedbacks between ecosystem services and the stakeholders at different spatial and temporal scales, and avoid double-counting issue in ecosystem services assessment. In addition, information and progress on trade-offs and synergies in the delivery of ecosystem services will provide scientific basis for designing and implementing eco-compensation schemes and optimize the management behavior of ecosystem services, and finally improve human well-being associated with trade-offs and synergies among different ecosystem services.<br>It is revealed from this review that in the last decades, the valuation of ecosystem services has been received lots of attentions in the decision-making and scientific research communities. However, the double-counting issue during the valuation process usually leads to insufficient or biased guidance in the management of ecosystem services. Since ecosystem service is benefit that human receives from the natural ecosystems, the stakeholders' demand for ecosystem services from different spatial and temporal scales often causes competitions and conflicts among ecosystem's various goods and services. The interactions between human being and ecosystem services often give rise to trade-offs and synergies which in turn directly affect human welfare.<br>With regard to the terminologies, trade-offs between ecosystem services refers to the enhancement of one ecosystem service locally in a short term is at the cost of other ecosystem services locally or at a large spatial scale (e.g., globally) in the future. It can be simplified as the win-lose mode. The term synergies means the synchronous changes between two or among many different ecosystem services, including the win-win mode and the lose-lose mode. The trade-offs and synergistic relationships exist not only within different categories of provisioning services, but also among different ecosystem services and like provision services, regulation services, cultural services, and supporting services. Findings from about 12 literatures has shown specific examples of such kind of trade-offs and synergistic relations, for instance, among provisioning services, between regulating services and cultural services, between provisioning services and supporting services, among regulating services, and between provisioning services and regulating services. The spatial scale of trade-offs and synergies contain various scales, for instance, from ecological scale to institutional scale. The temporal scale could be short-term to long-term based.<br>This paper indicates that so far, trade-offs and synergies analysis of ecosystem services is still at its early stage. However, we identified and summarized two research approaches which have already been commonly used for the analysis of ecosystem services' trade-offs: (1) the Integrated Ecological-Economic Model: it is a traditional approach which is often used to quantify trade-offs. The Model consists of several ecological and economic models. The ecological models are mostly used to analyze the magnitudes of the changes of ecosystem services, while the economic models to evaluate the impacts of the change on human welfare. Since land use and land cover change serves as a direct driving factor of the ecosystem services' trade-offs and synergies, it will become even more extensive due to intensification of interactions between the two in the future. (2) Scenarios Analysis based on Landuse is attracting more and more attention in scientific literature. Remote sensing data and management policies of ecosystem services provide strong data basis for the scenarios formulation and analysis. It could provide more objective and spatially-explicit information on the trade-offs and synergies for optimizing ecosystem services management.