Abstract
ABSTRACTA growing concern is arising to recognize that ecosystem services (ES) production often requires the integration of non-natural capital with natural capital in a process known as co-production. Several studies explore co-production in different terrestrial ecosystems, such as agriculture or water delivery, but less attention has been paid to marine ecosystems. Coastal activities such as aquaculture, shellfish harvesting, and small-scale fishing deliver important benefits for seafood provision, but are also inextricably linked to cultural and recreational ES. The degree to which co-production can determine the provision of ES in marine systems has yet not been explored. This paper addresses this key topic with an exploratory analysis of case studies where marine ES are co-produced. We look at five small-scale fisheries that range from intensive semi-aquaculture in Galicia (Spain), to wild harvesting in Northern Portugal, and discuss to what extent co-production influences ES delivery. We find that a direct relationship exists between co-production level and ES delivery in the case of provisioning ES (e.g., fish harvest), but not necessarily in the delivery of other ES. We also find that management practices and property regimes may be affecting trade-offs between co-production and ES.EDITED BY Evangelia Drakou
Highlights
Ecosystem services (ES) have been mainstreamed in science and policy due to various global initiatives that evolved from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA 2005), the Economics of Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity 2010), the United Kingdom National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA 2011), and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) framework (Díaz et al 2015)
To illustrate the relationships between non-natural capital and marine ecosystem services (ES), we presented three shellfish harvesting systems from Galicia (Spain) and two small-scale fisheries from Northern Portugal that differ in co-production levels
By exploring in detail the different systems and types of marine ES co-production, we were able to disentangle relationships that may help to understand the implications of non-natural capital in ES and benefit delivery (Figure 2)
Summary
Ecosystem services (ES) have been mainstreamed in science and policy due to various global initiatives that evolved from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA 2005), the Economics of Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity 2010), the United Kingdom National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA 2011), and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) framework (Díaz et al 2015) Each of these initiatives have been increasingly impacting policy and science, and are changing the way we manage natural resources and understand sustainability. Under this context, scholars have recently raised attention to the interactions between social and ecological factors in the production of ES (e.g., Reyers et al 2013; Guerry et al 2015; Partelow 2015; Díaz et al 2015; Palomo et al 2016). The underlying mechanisms and interactions between SES for the provision and delivery of ES are still under discussion
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