Ecosystem Services Framework Research Articles

Making research relevant? Ecological methods and the ecosystem services framework

AbstractWe examine some unexpected epistemological conflicts that arise at the interfaces between ecological science, the ecosystem services framework, policy, and industry. We use an example from our own research to motivate and illustrate our main arguments, while also reviewing standard approaches to ecological science using the ecosystem services framework. While we agree that the ecosystem services framework has benefits in its industrial applications because it may force economic decision makers to consider a broader range of costs and benefits than they would do otherwise, we find that many alignments of ecology with the ecosystem services framework are asking questions that are irrelevant to real‐world applications, and generating data that does not serve real‐world applications. We attempt to clarify why these problems arise and how to avoid them. We urge fellow ecologists to reflect on the kind of research that can lead to both scientific advances and applied relevance to society. In our view, traditional empirical approaches at landscape scales or with place‐based emphases are necessary to provide applied knowledge for problem solving, which is needed once decision makers identify risks to ecosystem services. We conclude that the ecosystem services framework is a good policy tool when applied to decision‐making contexts, but not a good theory either of social valuation or ecological interactions, and should not be treated as one.

Nitrogen‐induced terrestrial eutrophication: cascading effects and impacts on ecosystem services

AbstractHuman activity has significantly increased the deposition of nitrogen (N) on terrestrial ecosystems over pre‐industrial levels leading to a multitude of effects including losses of biodiversity, changes in ecosystem functioning, and impacts on human well‐being. It is challenging to explicitly link the level of deposition on an ecosystem to the cascade of ecological effects triggered and ecosystem services affected, because of the multitude of possible pathways in the N cascade. To address this challenge, we report on the activities of an expert workshop to synthesize information on N‐induced terrestrial eutrophication from the published literature and to link critical load exceedances with human beneficiaries by using the STressor–Ecological Production function–final ecosystem Services Framework and the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS‐CS). We found 21 N critical loads were triggered by N deposition (ranging from 2 to 39 kg N·ha−1·yr−1), which cascaded to distinct beneficiary types through 582 individual pathways in the five ecoregions examined (Eastern Temperate Forests, Marine West Coast Forests, Northwestern Forested Mountains, North American Deserts, Mediterranean California). These exceedances ultimately affected 66 FEGS across a range of final ecosystem service categories (21 categories, e.g., changes in timber production, fire regimes, and native plant and animal communities) and 198 regional human beneficiaries of different types. Several different biological indicators were triggered in different ecosystems, including grasses and/or forbs (33% of all pathways), mycorrhizal communities (22%), tree species (21%), and lichen biodiversity (11%). Ecoregions with higher deposition rates for longer periods tended to have more numerous and varied ecological impacts (e.g., Eastern Temperate Forests, eight biological indicators) as opposed to other ecoregions (e.g., North American Deserts and Marine West Coast Forests each with one biological indicator). Nonetheless, although ecoregions differed by ecological effects from terrestrial eutrophication, the number of FEGS and beneficiaries impacted was similar across ecoregions. We found that terrestrial eutrophication affected all ecosystems examined, demonstrating the widespread nature of terrestrial eutrophication nationally. These results highlight which people and ecosystems are most affected according to present knowledge, and identify key uncertainties and knowledge gaps to be filled by future research.

Diatoms to human uses: linking nitrogen deposition, aquatic eutrophication, and ecosystem services

AbstractNitrogen (N) loading to aquatic ecosystems can lead to eutrophication, changing the ecosystem within a waterbody, including primary productivity, water clarity, and food web dynamics. Nutrient loading often first affects the primary productivity of aquatic systems through shifts in phytoplankton communities. However, ecologically important changes in phytoplankton are often not relatable to the general public—whose behavior would need to change to alter patterns of nutrient loading. Therefore, we use the STressor–Ecological Production function–final ecosystem Services Framework to develop 154 chains that link changes in biological indicators of aquatic eutrophication (a shift in phytoplankton community) to final ecosystem services that people use or appreciate. We identify 13 ecological production functions (EPF) within three different ecosystems (alpine lakes, lakes, and estuaries) that connect changes in phytoplankton and algae to ecological endpoints that the general public and policy makers can appreciate. Using the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System, we identify 18 classes of human beneficiaries that potentially will be impacted by a change in one of these endpoints. We further assign strength‐of‐science scores to each link within the EPFs for the 154 chains according to how well each link is supported by current peer‐reviewed literature. By identifying many pathways through which excess N loading in U.S. surface waters can affect ecosystems and ultimately the beneficiaries of ecosystem services, this work intends to draw attention to gaps in empirical ecological literature that constrain understanding of the magnitude of effects that excess N loading can have on human well‐being. Results highlight the importance of intersections between the natural and social sciences when managers and policy makers evaluate impacts from ecological stressors. A balance between knowledgeable specialists proved key to applying this approach and will continue to remain important.

Carbon sequestration in wetlands, from science to practice: An overview of the biogeochemical process, measurement methods, and policy framework

Ecosystem services are becoming increasingly important and a reason to promote the sustainable use of natural resources. Wetlands provide many valuable ecosystem services, including carbon (C) sequestration. Wetlands are an important C sink, playing a key role in climate regulation. As such, their ability to sequester C is being considered in national GHG emissions assessments and private initiatives as a potential source of revenue to manage carbon-balanced landscapes and pay for ecosystem services. To be able to implement these initiatives widely some aspects of wetland carbon science and practice still need to be formalized and standardized. Here we synthesize the scientific basis of the biogeochemical processes that drive C sequestration in wetlands and assess the methods available for its measurement. We have reviewed data in 110 peer-reviewed studies form wetlands around the world and provide an overview of the current policies and guidelines in which C sequestration in wetlands is framed as an ecosystem management practice. The intention of this review is to provide a wide and comprehensive summary of C sequestration in wetlands, from science to practice. This analysis can help inform practitioners and landscape managers in future considerations regarding project design and policy implementation, improve current climate mitigation schemes and payment for ecosystem services frameworks, and foster the worldwide implementation of wetland restoration, creation, and conservation projects for sustainable development and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Off-stage ecosystem service burdens: A blind spot for global sustainability

The connected nature of social-ecological systems has never been more apparent than in today’s globalized world. The ecosystem service framework and associated ecosystem assessments aim to better inform the science–policy response to sustainability challenges. Such assessments, however, often overlook distant, diffuse and delayed impacts that are critical for global sustainability. Ecosystem-services science must better recognise the off-stage impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services of place-based ecosystem management, which we term ‘ecosystem service burdens’. These are particularly important since they are often negative, and have a potentially significant effect on ecosystem management decisions. Ecosystem-services research can better recognise these off-stage burdens through integration with other analytical approaches, such as life cycle analysis and risk-based approaches that better account for the uncertainties involved. We argue that off-stage ecosystem service burdens should be incorporated in ecosystem assessments such as those led by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Taking better account of these off-stage burdens is essential to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of cross-scale interactions, a pre-requisite for any sustainability transition.

Comparing SSURGO Data with Geospatial Field Measurements to Estimate Soil Texture and Infiltration Rate Classes in Glaciated Soils

ABSTRACTThe infiltration rate (IR) of water is a key soil property related to hydrological processes, soil health, and ecosystem services. However, detailed measurements of IR in the field and/or laboratory are labor-intensive and expensive to perform. Soil judging in the field provides a rapid and inexpensive method to estimate IR classes based on soil texture, soil organic carbon/matter, and soil structure. The objectives of this study were to classify and compare soil texture and IR for the A horizon across the 147 ha Cornell University Willsboro Research Farm using the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database and field-based measurements. Soil texture was the dominating factor to explain the general trend of Entisols > Inceptisols > Alfisols with regard to IR in the A horizon. In general, the variability in soil texture observed in field measurements was consistent with the variability reported in the SSURGO database, although the SSURGO representative values for soil texture did not completely match measured mean values for all soil map units. With the exception of one soil map unit, estimates of IR classes utilizing soil judging in the field criteria also were consistent when using either SSURGO or field-based data. Estimating infiltration rate classes for ecosystem services frameworks using geospatial analysis of field and/or SSURGO data can be enhanced with emerging technologies (e.g., sensors) and/or easily measured conventional soil properties.

Adventure racing enables access to cultural ecosystem services at multiple scales

Protected areas are increasingly being viewed and acknowledged within broader social-ecological landscapes as providing a range of ecosystem services, which offer an important connection between nature and society. We explore non-mechanised adventure racing as a form of nature-based tourism, how this activity enables access to a suite of cultural ecosystem services, and its facilitation by a network of relatively open-access protected landscapes. An international adventure race, set within the Garden Route, South Africa, was used as a case study. The physical setting (appreciating nature’s beauty and experiencing the environment in a different way) played the most important role as a motivating factor for participation within adventure racing. Mountainous scenery, rugged coastlines and encounters with iconic species along with the challenge, physical exertion and social bonding also contributed strongly towards the overall experience. Social media and live tracking provided an opportunity for broad exposure and a virtual experience of cultural ecosystem services at a range of spatial scales. In this manuscript we contribute to profiling adventure tourism within a cultural ecosystem service framework, and highlight some implications for protected area management.

Utilitarian framings of biodiversity shape environmental impact assessment in development cooperation

Biodiversity is under threat from anthropogenic pressures, in particular in biodiversity-rich developing countries. Development cooperation actors, who traditionally focus on the improvement of socio-economic conditions in the South, are increasingly acknowledging the linkages between poverty and biodiversity, e.g. by referring to the ecosystem services framework. However, there are many different framings which stress the need for biodiversity integration and which influence how biodiversity and development are and/or should be linked. Moreover, there is a gap between the lip service paid to biodiversity integration and the reality of development cooperation interventions. This study analyses how biodiversity framings are reflected in environmental impact assessment (EIA) practice, and how these framings influence EIA and decision-making. The findings, based on an in-depth qualitative analysis of World Bank EIAs undertaken in West Africa, indicate the incoherent quality but also the dominance of the ‘utilitarian’ and ‘corrective’ framings, which respectively stress human use of nature and mitigation of negative unintended development impacts. Identifying and highlighting these discursive trends leads to increased awareness of the importance of biodiversity among all development actors in North and South. However, some framings may lead to an overly narrow human-centred approach which downplays the intrinsic value of biodiversity. This study proposes recommendations for an improved integration of biodiversity in development cooperation, including the need for more systematic baseline studies in EIAs.

Ecosystem services to enhance sustainable forest management in the US: moving from forest service national programmes to local projects in the Pacific Northwest

Ecosystem services are increasingly recognized as a way of framing and describing the broad suite of benefits that people receive from forests. The USDA Forest Service has been exploring use of an ecosystem services framework to describe forest values provided by federal lands and to attract and build partnerships with stakeholders to implement projects. Recently, the agency has sought placed-based applications of the ecosystem services framework to national forest management to better illustrate the concept for policymakers, managers and forest stakeholders. This framework includes describing the ecosystem services provided by forest landscapes, examining the potential trade-offs among services associated with proposed management activities, and attracting and building partnerships with stakeholders who benefit from particular services forests provide. Projects that describe objectives and outcomes using an ecosystem services framework are quickly gaining respect and could provide an optimal method of managing forests to better serve the needs of people. We describe how project-scale guidelines can be designed to address commonly recognized products such as timber and clean water, as well as critical regulating, supporting and cultural services. We present results from national programmes to forest plan assessments to project-scale applications that enhance the provision of ecosystem services and sustainable forest management at broad to local scales.

An ecosystem services approach to the ecological effects of salvage logging: valuation of seed dispersal.

Forest disturbances diminish ecosystem services and boost disservices. Because post-disturbance management intends to recover the greatest possible value, selling timber often prevails over other considerations. Ecological research has shown diverse effects of salvage logging, yet such research has focused on the biophysical component of post-disturbance ecosystems and lacks the link with human well-being. Here we bridge that gap under the ecosystem services framework by assessing the impact of post-fire management on a non-timber value. By employing the replacement cost method, we calculated the value of the post-fire natural regeneration of Holm oaks in southern Spain under three post-fire management options by considering the cost of planting instead. The value of this ecosystem service in non-intervention areas doubled that of salvage-logged stands due to the preference for standing dead trees by the main seed disperser. Still, most of the value resulted from the resprouting capacity of oaks. The value of this and other ecosystem services should be added to traditional cost/benefit analyses of post-disturbance management. We thus call for a more holistic approach to salvage logging research, one that explicitly links ecological processes with human well-being through ecosystem services, to better inform decision-makers on the outcomes of post-disturbance management.

The most famous fish: human relationships with fish as inferred from the corpus of online English books (1800-2000)

ESEP Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics Contact the journal RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections ESEP 17:9-18 (2017) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esep00173 The most famous fish: human relationships with fish as inferred from the corpus of online English books (1800-2000) Konstantinos I. Stergiou1,2,* 1Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Aghios Kosmas, 16777 Athens, Greece 2Laboratory of Ichthyology, Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, UP Box 134, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece *Corresponding author: kstergio@bio.auth.gr ABSTRACT: Despite the historically close connection between humans and fish, the question ‘What is the most famous fish species?’ has never been asked. I used Google Ngram viewer to estimate the frequency of times the common names of 250 fishes appear in the corpus of digitized English books published between 1800 and 2000. I propose the ‘famon’ as a unit of fame, with 1 famon = 10-6 relative % Ngram frequency. Twelve of the 250 common names are words which also have other uses in English and were thus not considered here, and 57 species had 0 famons. For the remaining 181 species, fame increased for 139 (76.8%), during or part of 1800-2000. Goldfish Carassius auratus, the most common laboratory and aquarium fish and the second fish to be domesticated, is the most famous fish, reaching 80 to 117 famons after 1930. It was introduced to Europe from China about 325 to 450 yr ago and then to North America around 1850. Goldfish have penetrated into cultural aspects of human civilization (e.g. stamps, art, music). ‘Goldfish’ also appears in the corpus of simplified Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish books. The results show the universality and dominance of goldfish in the digitized published heritage. This likely indicates that non-consumptive cultural aspects, including aesthetic, spiritual, and recreational components, play a central role in defining the relationship of humans with fish, being equally important as provisioning, regulating, and supporting services, and thus should be valued accordingly for conservation. However, cultural services have not yet been adequately integrated within the ecosystem service framework and are generally excluded from economic evaluations, a fact raising ethical issues with respect to their relative evaluation. KEY WORDS: Fame · Famon · Goldfish · Carassius auratus · Darwin · Ecosystem services · Cultural services Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Stergiou KI (2017) The most famous fish: human relationships with fish as inferred from the corpus of online English books (1800-2000). Ethics Sci Environ Polit 17:9-18. https://doi.org/10.3354/esep00173 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESEP Vol. 17. Online publication date: May 17, 2017 Print ISSN: 1863-5415; Online ISSN: 1611-8014 Copyright © 2017 Inter-Research.

Contribution of dung beetles to cattle productivity in the tropics: A stochastic-dynamic modeling approach

Dung beetles provide different services to agroecosystems. Previous economic assessment of this insect group highlights their importance in temperate zones using linear models or ecosystem services frameworks. This paper proposes a stochastic-dynamic model to simulate dung production and degradation in order to estimate the contribution of dung beetles to dual-purpose cattle production in the tropical grasslands of Veracruz, Mexico. The model allowed for estimation of sampling distributions of dung occurrence in the field, the coverage area, nitrogen burial, and maintenance of clean grasslands and their economic benefits. Contributions of dung beetles are expressed as 95% confidence intervals. Dung beetles removed from 56.2 to 116.9depositionsha−1d−1 and the efficiency in dung removal was between 65 to 69%. At the grassland scale, dung beetles cleaned an area from 8.5 to 26.9m2ha−1d−1. Nitrogen burial ranged from 32.2 to 136.2kgha−1y−1. The clean area maintained annually varied between 31 to 98% of the pastures. The annual benefit per animal unit ranged between US$149.1 to US$ 423.6 and at state level the benefit (US$×10E6) was between 140.6 and 455.8. The most important economic contribution was maintaining clean areas (71.4%), then by incorporating nitrogen as fertilizer (28.3%), and last in milk and meat benefits (<1%). The model allowed for the representation of the natural variability of some key factors involved in dung processing by beetles related to dual-purpose cattle production.

Reframing the payments for ecosystem services framework in a coupled human and natural systems context: strengthening the integration between ecological and human dimensions

ABSTRACTIntroduction: As challenges to biodiversity mount, land-use policies have been implemented to balance human needs and the integrity of ecological systems. One such program, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), incentivizes resource users to protect ecosystem services and has been implemented around the world to reduce soil erosion, create or improve wildlife habitats, and improve water quality and other environmental goals. The PES policy, at its core, is a concept that aims to capture the reciprocal relationships between human systems and ecological function and process. As such, PES epistemologically embodies a coupled human and natural systems approach.Outcomes: Yet, despite this conceptual alignment, the on-the-ground implementation or evaluation of PES typically does not adopt this coupled approach and PES programs have little integration between socioeconomic, sociocultural, human demographic, and ecological elements. To advance the evolution of PES, we consider what and how socioeconomic and ecological factors have been incorporated into PES program implementation and evaluation. We also present a conceptual model to articulate how PES research can capture the reciprocal relationships among socioeconomics, demography, and ecology and discuss the quantitative modeling approaches that can support this conceptual development, i.e., structural equation and agent-based modeling, and latent trajectory models.Conclusions: By strengthening the conceptual framework for PES within a coupled human and natural systems approach and identifyinganalytical approaches that can be used to quantify and characterize these complex cross-disciplinary relationships, we aim to support the evolution and advancement of PES, in service of more meaningful and positive outcomes for human well-being and ecological sustainability.

Impacts to ecosystem services from aquatic acidification: using FEGS‐CS to understand the impacts of air pollution

AbstractIncreases in anthropogenic emissions of sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) have resulted in increases in the associated atmospheric deposition of acidic compounds. In sensitive watersheds, this deposition has initiated a cascade of negative environmental effects on aquatic ecosystems, resulting in a degradation or loss of valuable ecosystem goods and services. Here, we report the activities of an expert workgroup to synthesize information on acidic deposition‐induced aquatic acidification from the published literature and to link critical load exceedances with ecosystem services and beneficiaries, using the Stressor–Ecological Production function–Final Ecosystem Services (STEPS) Framework and the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS‐CS). Experts identified and documented the sensitive aquatic ecosystem ecological endpoints valued by humans, and the environmental pathways through which these endpoints may experience degradation in response to acidification. Beneficiary groups were then identified for each sensitive ecological endpoint to clarify relationships between humans and the effects of aquatic acidification, and to lay the foundation for future research and analysis to value these FEGS.

Expanding the suite of Cultural Ecosystem Services to include ingenuity, perspective, and life teaching

Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) are a crucial but relatively understudied component of the ecosystem services framework. While the number and diversity of categories of other types of ES have steadily increased, CES categories are still largely defined by a few existing typologies. Based on our empirical data, we suggest that those typologies need updating. We analyzed data from interviews conducted in adjacent Hawaiian ecosystems—one agricultural and one forested. We found that current categories of CES do not capture the diversity and nuance of the nonmaterial benefits that people described receiving from ecosystems. We propose three new CES categories: ingenuity, life teaching, and perspective. We discuss issues of lumping and splitting CES categories, and advocate that creating categories for these emerging themes will help us to more fully capture nonmaterial benefits in ecosystem services research and policy.

Integrating ecosystem services supply potential from future land-use scenarios in protected area management: A Bangladesh case study

The establishment of protected areas (PAs) is a key strategy to conserve declining forests and biodiversity worldwide. Due to poor infrastructure and a limited capacity of PA managers, most of the PAs in developing countries fail to achieve their management targets. In this paper, the potential to integrate ecosystem services (ES) into land-use planning was assessed in order to better manage PAs in tropical countries. Firstly, we mapped the relative capacity of different land-use/land cover (LULC) to supply ES in and around the Satchari National Park (SNP) located in northeast Bangladesh. Two alternative scenarios to envisage the likely future supply of ES in the area were then analysed. The study reveals a relatively higher supply of supporting ES from LULC located inside the park compared to the ES supplied from surrounding forests, tea gardens, and oil palm and rubber plantations. Provisioning ES were greater in surrounding forests than from SNP. Both regulating and cultural ES were also higher in LULC within the park. Spatially explicit ES supply assessment and mapping was found to be useful for land use planning and the prioritization of future management actions. Based on our findings, we suggest that PA managers should consider the ES framework as an effective tool for the future-oriented PAs management.

Sustainable Ecosystem Services Framework for Tropical Catchment Management: A Review

The monsoon season is a natural phenomenon that occurs over the Asian continent, bringing extra precipitation which causes significant impact on most tropical watersheds. The tropical region’s countries are rich with natural rainforests and the economies of the countries situated within the region are mainly driven by the agricultural industry. In order to fulfill the agricultural demand, land clearing has worsened the situation by degrading the land surface areas. Rampant land use activities have led to land degradation and soil erosion, resulting in implications on water quality and sedimentation of the river networks. This affects the ecosystem services, especially the hydrological cycles. Intensification of the sedimentation process has resulted in shallower river systems, thus increasing their vulnerability to natural hazards (i.e., climate change, floods). Tropical forests which are essential in servicing their benefits have been depleted due to the increase in human exploitation. This paper provides an overview of the impact of land erosion caused by land use activities within tropical rainforest catchments, which lead to massive sedimentation in tropical rivers, as well as the effects of monsoon on fragile watersheds which can result in catastrophic floods. Forest ecosystems are very important in giving services to regional biogeochemical processes. Balanced ecosystems therefore, play a significant role in servicing humanity and ultimately, may create a new way of environmental management in a cost-effective manner. Essentially, such an understanding will help stakeholders to come up with better strategies in restoring the ecosystem services of tropical watersheds.

Exploratory Review on Understanding the Relationship Between Cultural Services and Open Space in University

Open space in University offers multiple ecosystem services, providing a variety of benefits to human life. Ecosystem services are defined as the advantages that people receive from the ecosystems. It is the conditions and processes through which natural ecosystems and the species are to sustain and fulfill human life. In current research stated, the ecosystem contribute to human well-being has been emphasized with less attention to the important of cultural services as there is a significant changes in people interaction with environmental settings. Cultural services are recognized, but it is not yet defined clearly within the ecosystem services framework how important it is to human wellbeing. Thus, this paper is aim to explore the understanding of the relationship of cultural services and open space in University. Hence, the objectives of this research are to study the cultural services functions and to identify the values of cultural services provided. It is to understand how knowledge of cultural services related to the socio-cultural value of human wellbeing. The research methods used consisted of a document analysis of cultural services with socio-cultural value through open space in University. The finding of this study is to demonstrate the proposed framework which shows the link between cultural services and socio-cultural value to human wellbeing. Above all, this approach is to understand the comprehensive approach to demonstrate the important of cultural services and open space within the campus to human wellbeing.

Linking social, ecological, and physical science to advance natural and nature-based protection for coastal communities.

Interest in the role that ecosystems play in reducing the impacts of coastal hazards has grown dramatically. Yet the magnitude and nature of their effects are highly context dependent, making it difficult to know under what conditions coastal habitats, such as saltmarshes, reefs, and forests, are likely to be effective for saving lives and protecting property. We operationalize the concept of natural and nature-based solutions for coastal protection by adopting an ecosystem services framework that propagates the outcome of a management action through ecosystems to societal benefits. We review the literature on the basis of the steps in this framework, considering not only the supply of coastal protection provided by ecosystems but also the demand for protective services from beneficiaries. We recommend further attention to (1) biophysical processes beyond wave attenuation, (2) the combined effects of multiple habitat types (e.g., reefs, vegetation), (3) marginal values and expected damage functions, and, in particular, (4) community dependence on ecosystems for coastal protection and co-benefits. We apply our approach to two case studies to illustrate how estimates of multiple benefits and losses can inform restoration and development decisions. Finally, we discuss frontiers for linking social, ecological, and physical science to advance natural and nature-based solutions to coastal protection.

Ecosystem services and neoliberal governmentality – German style

The ecosystem services concept and its political applications have been characterised by many scholars as manifestations of a neoliberal governmentality. However, the notion of ecosystem services can be linked to quite different policies and may thus lead to contradictory outcomes, depending on the context. It is largely unknown how policy-making in the field of nature conservation and landscape management in Germany will be influenced by the growing salience of the ecosystem services concept. The present study aims to close this gap by analysing the recent project “Natural Capital Germany – TEEB DE”. The objective is to examine the problematisations and rationalities of governing produced so far in the context of TEEB-DE and to assess them in the light of different ‘arts of government’. The most important finding is that the TEEB-DE discourse includes a relatively coherent neoliberal subdiscourse in terms of problematisations of governing, whereas with regard to rationalities it appears to be more polyphonic. The increased recognition of the ecosystem services concept in Germany as epitomised by TEEB-DE has so far not generated a consistent programme of neoliberal policy proposals. This is because TEEB-DE ties in with previous discourses in Germany that were mainly characterised by sovereign and disciplinary governmentalities, and interweaves them with the neoliberal framework of ecosystem services and natural capital.