Biodiversity And Ecosystem Services Research Articles

An Ecosystem Valuation for Enhanced Transboundary Water Cooperation in the Kabul River Basin

An Ecosystem Valuation for Enhanced Transboundary Water Cooperation in the Kabul River Basin

Valorization for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Agri-Food Value Chain

This article defines the term valorization of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) measures, as distinguished from their valuation, and underpins it with an assessment of private valorization examples along the agri-food value chain. Valorization incentivizes measures for promoting BES, while valuation refers to its quantification. Valuation can be a step of valorization but is not indispensable. In scientific literature, the terms valorization and valuation are often used interchangeably. In addition, there is a lack of research on private options versus conventional, public policy options. Therefore, we searched for private valorization options primarily in public sources (gray literature and websites). This led to the identification of four clusters (markets for voluntary services, labeling, and certification, environmental management/CSR, and tradable permits and quotas). Based on these clusters the options were assessed from a legal and systems dynamics perspective. In addition, the viability of selected valorization options in different future scenarios was examined. The analysis revealed a wide range of private valorization options, which in contrast to public policy options that focus almost entirely on the production stage, are spread across the agri-food value chain. Their suitability differs under different future scenarios, legal and systems conditions.

Integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services to identify ecological priorities for an ecologically fragile city in China

AbstractA high rate of urbanization comes with high environmental costs, leading to reductions in biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES). How to maximize the efficiency and representation of BES in cities is of utmost urgency. However, in the process of spatial prioritization identification, it remains unclear whether a preference for ecosystem services (ES) promotes or detracts from biodiversity. In this study, a Marxan‐based spatial conservation prioritization framework is provided to achieve a win–win situation for ES provision and biodiversity protection. Using Hohhot city, China as a study case, it sets up different weighting scenarios with species and five ES to determine the optimal protected area network for each possible combination. At the same time, it tests the conservation costs, protected features, and spatial overlap of different scenarios with existing protected areas to quantify their conservation efficiency. We found that (1) closed deciduous broadleaved forests, closed evergreen needle‐leaved forests, and deciduous shrublands could support both high biodiversity and abundant ES at altitudes of 1600–2000 m. (2) Although a positive association is found between ES and biodiversity, there is some spatial variation. The geographical overlap rate with biodiversity prioritization was only 29.72% when only ES were considered. (3) Conservation of ecological hotspots by increasing the weight of ES can reduce conservation expenses by 0.69%–20.32% compared to meeting solely biodiversity targets. Our analyses highlight the need for an appropriate weighting of ES in decisions seeking to identify protected areas. This study provides methodological support for the integration of ES and biodiversity, facilitating more comprehensive conservation planning decisions.

The missing markets link in global-to-local-to-global analyses of biodiversity and ecosystem services

Abstract While the impacts of global drivers such as international trade, population growth, technological development or climate change on local-level pricing, decision making, biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) have received strong and increasing attention over the recent decades, relatively few studies have examined how impacts on local BES due to human activities or how local responses targeted to improve BES outcomes, can propagate to regional, national and global scale. We discuss the challenges that frequently arise in global-to-local-to-global frameworks when modelling policies aimed at improving land-use change while also maximising the associated benefits from the state of biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. We present four complexities associated with case studies that describe approaches to protecting BES in diverse landscapes and contexts within the proposed framework: heterogeneity in local markets; additionality; spillover and leakage effects; and unintended consequences. Our study calls for filling these gaps in our understanding through interdisciplinary, open-source research characterizing the local-to-global biodiversity and ecosystem services linkages in future.

Analysis of the Spatiotemporal Changes in Selected Ecosystem Services Caused by Free Trade Initiatives in Incheon, Korea

Expansion of a development area can negatively impact ecosystems by decreasing or fragmenting habitats. With increased awareness of the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES), ecosystem service evaluations have attracted increased attention. The geography surrounding the city of Incheon is ecologically valuable because of its ecological diversity, attributed to its mudflats and coastal terrain. This study analyzed changes caused by the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) agreement in the ecosystem services of this area using uses the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs model and assesses the impacts of BES before and after the implementation of the agreement. Results revealed that carbon fixation and habitat quality decreased by approximately 40% and 37%, respectively, owing to the development caused by the agreement (p < 0.01). Additionally, endangered species and migratory birds were not protected by the terms of the IFEZ, and a decline in habitats, prey, and breeding sites was observed. This study suggests that the value of ecosystem services and the expansion of conservation areas should be considered part of ecological research under economic free trade agreements.

Balancing disturbance risk and ecosystem service provisioning in Swiss mountain forests: an increasing challenge under climate change

Climate change severely affects mountain forests and their ecosystem services, e.g., by altering disturbance regimes. Increasing timber harvest (INC) via a close-to-nature forestry may offer a mitigation strategy to reduce disturbance predisposition. However, little is known about the efficiency of this strategy at the scale of forest enterprises and potential trade-offs with biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES). We applied a decision support system which accounts for disturbance predisposition and BES indicators to evaluate the effect of different harvest intensities and climate change scenarios on windthrow and bark beetle predisposition in a mountain forest enterprise in Switzerland. Simulations were carried out from 2010 to 2100 under historic climate and climate change scenarios (RCP4.5, RCP8.5). In terms of BES, biodiversity (structural and tree species diversity, deadwood amount) as well as timber production, recreation (visual attractiveness), carbon sequestration, and protection against gravitational hazards (rockfall, avalanche and landslides) were assessed. The INC strategy reduced disturbance predisposition to windthrow and bark beetles. However, the mitigation potential for bark beetle disturbance was relatively small (− 2.4%) compared to the opposite effect of climate change (+ 14% for RCP8.5). Besides, the INC strategy increased the share of broadleaved species and resulted in a synergy with recreation and timber production, and a trade-off with carbon sequestration and protection function. Our approach emphasized the disproportionally higher disturbance predisposition under the RCP8.5 climate change scenario, which may threaten currently unaffected mountain forests. Decision support systems accounting for climate change, disturbance predisposition, and BES can help coping with such complex planning situations.

The impacts of land use change on biodiversity and ecosystem services: An empirical investigation from highly fragile countries

AbstractGlobally, biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) are rapidly declining due to continuous human intervention. The most important factor behind this rapid decline in BES has been attributed to the different land use changes such as agricultural expansion, urbanization, and deforestation practices. Therefore, the present study intends to understand the impacts of land use changes along with the effects of egalitarian democracy, human capital and globalization on BES taking a sample of 20 countries where ecosystem services and biodiversity are most fragile during 1990–2019 period. The study employs robust econometric models that can tackle the problem of cross‐sectional dependence within the data. The finding demonstrates that agricultural expansion and urbanization both negatively and significantly affect the BES whereas forest area is positively associated with BES. The impacts of egalitarian democracy, human capital development as well as that of globalization are found to be decreasing the BES loss. Finally, some policy recommendations are provided to offset the loss of BES which can serve as the benchmark for developing policy interventions across the countries.

Private Governance of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Findings From Nordic Forest Companies

This study examines the role of business organizations in co-governing biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) using a phenomenon-based approach and bridging business management literature, ecosystem services literature and environmental governance literature. The empirical analysis includes twelve Nordic forest corporations considered market leaders in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Using content analysis of corporate sustainability reports and managerial interviews, we recorded 127 company-led measures addressing BES and we categorized them into seventeen types (e.g., land use planning and restoration, mobilization of financial resources for conservation, partner auditing, capacity building and consultation with stakeholders). For each BES measure, we also identified the BES issues being addressed (e.g., climate regulation, soil maintenance, cultural values); company motivation (i.e., compliance, strategic, profit-seeking); the stakeholders/beneficiaries involved (e.g., employees, forest owners, experts, local communities, public administration, NGOs); and the private governance instruments used for implementing the measure (i.e., regulatory, economic, information and rights-based instruments). The findings suggest that practices such as monetary valuation, biodiversity offsets and green bonds are emerging as profitable or strategically interesting options for Nordic forest companies. However, well-established practices, such as forest inventory, partner auditing and land sparing, continue to be the backbone of private BES governance among the leading companies examined. Although not directly motivated by compliance, private governance measures are largely nested in legislation. The contribution of this study includes reflections of relevance for both the scholarly and managerial realms. From a scholarly perspective, we further elaborate an understanding of BES management and governance from an organizational perspective. From a managerial perspective, we provide and discuss an overview of potential measures that forest companies can implement to address biodiversity and other socio-ecological issues at the land-use level.

Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Services in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

With 22% global land surface area, the mountains ecosystem is home to 13%of the total human populations. Evolved as a unique ecosystem, the mountainadds value with diverse ecosystems; tradition and culture as well as ecosys-tem services for socio-economic development in the mountain areas andbeyond. As it caters half of the humanity with its diverse types of ecosystemservices, the realization of its significance are still limited in national, regionaland global discourses. In the conservation front, there has been a significantprogress in the concept and practices from species focussed interventions tohabitat and ecosystem/landscape conservation approaches. The Hindu KushHimalaya (HKH), known as the highest mountain ecosystems in the world isalso the water tower for the region often referred as the third pole. This uniqueecosystem is an important repository of biological and cultural diversities andsource of varied ecosystems services to 240 million people living within andabout a one third of global population living downstream. The region hasbeen in spotlight for being part of the 36 ‘Global Biodiversity Hotspot’ aswell as climate change hotspot. However, our understanding the dynamics ofchanging landscapes and climate and its linkage to people, mostly challengedby poverty are limited. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Devel-opment (ICIMOD), an inter-governmental regional knowledge and enabling centre, has been instrumental in developing knowledge about the dynam-ics of these fragile ecosystems and support its regional member countriesthrough science based integrated approaches. Since its inception, ICIMODhas been engaged in developing knowledge and supporting policies for moun-tain development focusing on socio-economic, ecological and environmentaldimensions. In this paper, we present the retrospect of our understandingand learnings in the HKH through transboundary landscape managementand regional cooperation mostly focused on conservation of biodiversity andecosystem services perspectives. The paper reflects on changing paradigmand complex process for strengthening regional cooperation in the HKH.

A farming systems approach to linking agricultural policies with biodiversity and ecosystem services

Many countries are reshaping their agricultural policies to better enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) in farmlands, but measuring the effectiveness of policy instruments in BES delivery is challenging. Using the European Agricultural Policy as an example, we propose the application of a farming systems (FS) approach as a cost‐effective tool for linking policy design and expected BES outcomes. On the basis of available data from subsidy payment agencies, such an approach can identify groups of farms that share similar management practices as well as the associations between FS and corresponding BES potential, and improve modeled outputs of farm management responses to policies and other drivers of change. We describe how this relatively unexplored source of information can help to support applied ecological research and relevant policy, and call for these data to be made available across Europe and elsewhere.

Marine conservation: towards a multi-layered network approach.

Valuing, managing and conserving marine biodiversity and a full range of ecosystem services is at the forefront of research and policy agendas. However, biodiversity is being lost at up to a thousand times the average background rate. Traditional disciplinary and siloed conservation approaches are not able to tackle this massive loss of biodiversity because they generally ignore or overlook the interactive and dynamic nature of ecosystems processes, limiting their predictability. To conserve marine biodiversity, we must assess the interactions and impacts among biodiversity and ecosystem services (BD-ES). The scaling up in complexity from single species to entire communities is necessary, albeit challenging, for a deeper understanding of how ecosystem services relate to biodiversity and the roles species have in ecosystem service provision. These interactions are challenging to map, let alone fully assess, but network and system-based approaches provide a powerful way to progress beyond those limitations. Here, we introduce a conceptual multi-layered network approach to understanding how ecosystem services supported by biodiversity drive the total service provision, how different stressors impact BD-ES and where conservation efforts should be placed to optimize the delivery of ecosystem services and protection of biodiversity.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

What ecologists should know before using land use/cover change projections for biodiversity and ecosystem service assessments

Scenarios of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) are key for decision-makers to understand the consequences of future environmental change on BES. Though a major driver of terrestrial biodiversity loss, land use and land cover changes (LUCC) have been largely overlooked in previous BES assessments. But ecologists lack practical guidance for the general use of LUCC projections. We review the practices in use in LUCC-driven BES assessments and summarize the questions ecologists should address before using LUCC projections. LUCC-driven BES scenarios rely on a substantial set of different socioeconomic storylines (> 200 for 166 papers). Studies explore different futures, but generally concentrate on projections obtained from a single LUCC model. The rationale regarding time horizon, spatial resolution, or the set of storylines used is rarely made explicit. This huge heterogeneity and low transparency regarding the what, why, and how of using LUCC projections for the study of BES futures could discourage researchers from engaging in the design of such biodiversity scenarios. Our results call on those using LUCC projections to more systematically report on the choices they make when designing LUCC-based BES scenarios (e.g. time horizon, spatial and thematic resolutions, scope of contrasted futures). Beyond the improvement of reliability, reproducibility, and comparability of these scenarios, this could also greatly benefit others wanting to use the same LUCC projections, and help land use modellers better meet the needs of their intended audiences. The uncertainties in LUCC-driven BES futures should also be explored more comprehensively, including different socioeconomic storylines and different LUCC models, as recommended in studies dealing with climate-driven BES futures.

Future projections of biodiversity and ecosystem services in Europe with two integrated assessment models

Projections of future changes in biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) are of increasing importance to inform policy and decision-making on options for conservation and sustainable use of BES. Scenario-based modelling is a powerful tool to assess these future changes. This study assesses the consequences for BES in Europe under four socio-environmental scenarios designed from a BES perspective. We evaluated these scenarios using two integrated assessment models (IMAGE-GLOBIO and CLIMSAVE IAP, respectively). Our results showed that (i) climate and land use change will continue to pose significant threats to biodiversity and some ecosystem services, even in the most optimistic scenario; (ii) none of the four scenarios achieved overall preservation of BES in Europe; and (iii) targeted policies (e.g. on climate change, biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management) and behavioural change (e.g. reducing meat consumption, water-saving behaviour) reduced the magnitude of BES loss. These findings stress the necessity of more ambitious policies and actions if BES in Europe are to be safeguarded. We further found that the multi-modelling approach was critical to account for complementary BES dimensions and highlighted different sources of uncertainties (e.g. related to land use allocation, driving forces behind BES changes, trade assumptions), which facilitated nuanced and contextualised insights with respect to possible BES futures.

Assessment of Threats to Survival of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, Akwa Ibom State

Different climes are endowed with a myriad of biodiversity resources, ecosystem services and functions suited to sustenance of lives and providing assorted raw materials for sustainable development if effectively managed. There is global outcry about disappearing biodiversity and mismanaged fragile ecosystems. Human endeavours are strongly implicated in the resulting distorted ecological balance. This study therefore sets out to examine the cause and effects of the declining singular gazetted forest reserve in Akwa Ibom State, the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve (SCFR). Threats to survival of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) were studied qualitatively (a combination of field observation and engagement with key stakeholders of SCFR). Community forest occupational user-groups, corporate players and the public sector were engaged. Outcomes of the study suggest that among other factors, institutional weakness and unsustainable consumption patterns may be of primary concern in tackling further degradation. A quick concerted intervention is required to reposition SCFR for alignment with global sustainable development goal 15, ecosystem restoration and climate change adaptation.

Identifying and explaining the farming system composition of agricultural landscapes: The role of socioeconomic drivers under strong biophysical gradients

In mountain landscapes, agricultural abandonment is taking place in the most vulnerable areas, while intensification increases in the most productive lands. These contrasting processes, which have different impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES), are related to changes in the farming system component of these landscapes.Farming systems are identified based on farmer’s decisions on, for example, type of crop and level of fertilizers, which represent the descriptors of farming systems and can be grouped into several dimensions (e.g. land use and intensity). Since obtaining this data at farm-level is often difficult, an alternative is to study the spatial combinations of farming systems at parish-level, i.e., Farming System Mixes (FSM), relying on agricultural census data.Other biophysical (e.g. climate, soil) and socioeconomic (e.g. labour, farmer’s age) variables, independent of farmers' decisions, represent the exogenous drivers of these decisions. The separation between descriptors and drivers is important to improve knowledge about what drives farmers' decisions regarding farming system choice, as these choices are often the focus of policies aiming the support of BES.In this study, we explored the underlying drivers of FSM and assessed the role of socioeconomic drivers, main target for policy makers, in a context of strong biophysical gradients. Biophysical drivers emerge as those that primarily discriminate between the FSM located in different topographic positions (valleys, mountains and plateau). In the situations where there is a greater range of productive choices available for farmers, such as in valleys, socioeconomic drivers assume a preponderant role on farming system choice.

Insights for policy-based conservation strategies for the Rio de la Plata Grasslands through the IPBES framework

Abstract The Río de la Plata Grasslands (RPG) are one of the most modified biomes in the world. Changes in land use and cover affect the RPG’s rich biodiversity. In particular, the expansion of crops, overgrazing, afforestation, and the introduction of exotic species pose a major threat to the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES). In this study, we applied the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) conceptual framework as a new lens to approach biodiversity conservation enactments in the RPG. First, we systematically reviewed published scientific literature to identify direct and indirect drivers that affect the RPG’s BES. Further, we conducted an extensive analysis of management policies affecting the BES directly in the region, at a national and international level. We conclude by offering recommendations for policy and praxis under the umbrella of the IPBES framework.

Soil biodiversity and crop diversification are vital components of healthy soils and agricultural sustainability

The fast-growing world population exerts great pressure on the land to produce enough nutritious food. It is projectedthat global population will be 50% greater than at present by 2050 and the demand for global grain will havedoubled[1]. The pressure further intensifies with the stresses resulting from climate change, associated extremeweather[2], and expansion of urbanization. Humanity has already transgressed three of the nine interlinked planetaryboundaries, and agriculture is the major driving force behind this development[3]. The agricultural system must betransformed to simultaneously provide global food security and environmental integrity[4]. To address thesechallenges, sustainability in agriculture must be enhanced[3,5]. This is particularly true for rapidly developingcountries such as China. While intensive, industrial agriculture achieved enormous successes, such as feeding 20%of the global population by producing 25% of the world’s grain with less than 10% of world arable land, theseachievements came at the expense of low resource use efficiency and environmental problems such as airpollution[6], water pollution[7], and soil acidification[8]. Agriculture in China is facing unprecedented challenges.In 2017, the Chinese government proposed Agriculture Green Development (AGD) as“a national strategy ofsustainable development; pursuing green development”, in line with the call of the United Nations SustainableDevelopment Goals AGD, emphasizing the development of a more sustainable agriculture and a greener eco-environment and food industry. To realize the goals of AGD and to alleviate the deleterious effects of intensiveagriculture, excessive use of external resource inputs, e.g., mineral fertilizers and agrochemicals, must be reducedand internal regulatory ecosystem processes must be promoted (Fig. 1). Ecological intensification is the strategy ofchoice to achieve these goals, as it focuses on managing and promoting ecosystem service-providing organismsand processes that make a quantifiable direct or indirect contribution to agricultural production[9]. The benefits ofecologically intensifying agriculture are achieved through greater reliance on biodiversity andecosystemservices[10], including the management of soils and their biota[11]. The regulation of internal soil ecosystem processhas been compared to the operation and relevance of the gut microbiome in the human body[12]. Soils providehabitat to a wealth and diversity of organisms, including microbes, invertebrates and vertebrates, adding up toseveral thousands of species per cubic meter of soil making it one of the most biodiverse habitats on earth[13]. Plantroots, the associated microbiome, and soil microbiota interact in a multitude of ways and collectively perform multiplefunctions, such as the enhancement of nutrient availability, prevention of pests and diseases, carbon storage, andimprovement of soil structure and water holding capacity[14]. Soil health, by definition, is the capacity of a living soil tofunction, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain orenhance water and air quality, and promote plant and animal health[15]. ...

The intention of companies to invest in biodiversity and ecosystem services credits through an online-marketplace

We investigated the intention of companies to voluntarily pay for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES), specifically by purchasing BES credits through an online-marketplace. The aim of our paper was to analyse influencing factors on companies’ intentions to buy BES credits through an online-marketplace as well as to gain insights into their investment preferences. We did an explorative, qualitative study by conducting interviews with 26 companies in Germany, followed by a structured content analysis based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Our results showed that some companies perceived an online-marketplace for BES credits to increase transparency, credibility, communication, as well as the ease to be engaged for nature conservation. Hindering factors to buy BES credits were especially the fear of greenwashing accusations and the lack of business case drivers. Most interviewees did not report stakeholder pressures for nature conservation; instead the intrinsic motivation of managers was of high importance. Managers were interested in diverse BES credits with important regional preferences. Based on our results, we discussed the potential corporate target group. In conclusion, our paper showed that an online-marketplace for BES credits might stimulate business investments in nature conservation.

Segregated versus integrated biodiversity conservation: Value-based ecosystem service assessment under varying forest management strategies in a Swiss case study

There is an ongoing debate regarding segregated and integrated approaches to biodiversity conservation in Central European forests. The ecosystem services provisioning of timber, recreation and carbon sequestration are, however, also of great importance. The existence of manifold objectives makes it difficult to find an appropriate strategy in forest management, especially for practitioners at the management unit level. We simulated forest development over 50 years under five management strategies in a Swiss forest enterprise: business as usual (BAU), segregated (BC-seg) and integrated (BC-int) biodiversity conservation, intensive management (INTENS) and no management (NO). INTENS and BAU were used as benchmark strategies. The available forest inventory data was used as input for the growth simulator WaldPlaner. Management strategies were analysed over time with a value-based multi-criteria approach based on 21 indicators regarding the provisioning of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) as well as their synergies and conflicts.The analysis yielded the best overall BES values for the strategies INTENS, BAU and BC-seg. However, INTENS and BAU were not envisaged as alternatives for biodiversity conservation because they lack essential late successional forest elements. Strategy NO had the lowest BES values, despite the good biodiversity results of the climax states (micro-habitat bearing large deadwood and large old living trees). Of the two intended conservation strategies integration and segregation, the latter had higher values. Segregation therefore offers a compromise by combining the positive aspects of both conservation and management-oriented strategies. With regard to the case study area, we thus conclude that a small-scale segregation of the forest into zones with multiple management strategies is best for achieving structural biodiversity aspects in multiple-objective forest management.

Land-use planning as a tool for balancing the scientific and the social in biodiversity and ecosystem services mainstreaming? The case of Durban, South Africa

This paper evaluates the role of land-use planning, especially open space systems, in mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) at the urban level. Whilst there is increasing interest in BES mainstreaming to balance environmental protection with socio-economic development, there is also concern that BES thinking deflects attention from underlying social justice questions. Through the case study of Durban, South Africa – often held as an exemplar in BES mainstreaming – we argue open space systems can offer a pathway to BES mainstreaming that is both scientifically effective and socially just. Yet what makes this possible in Durban, we argue, is (1) a robust scientific evidence base deployed reflexively and sensitively; (2) a move towards explicit emphasis on providing benefits of BES to the most vulnerable people; and (3) supportive policy frameworks plus the presence of biodiversity managers able to navigate the political as well as scientific landscape.