Increase In Ecosystem Services Research Articles

The impact of bioengineering techniques for riverbank protection on ecosystem services of riparian zones

Rivers and floodplains are hotspots of biodiversity and provide an exceptional number of ecological functions. However, they are negatively affected by human impact worldwide. The need for restoration is high, but its realization is often hampered by antagonistic human interests. Replacing artificial riverbank protection with bioengineering techniques can be a first and straightforward step to restore riparian ecosystems. However, bioengineering still plays a marginal role in river management. We aim to introduce new arguments for bioengineering along riverbanks by applying the ecosystem service approach. We focus on major regulating services usually provided by floodplains. Denitrification and phosphorous retention were estimated by applying proxy-based models. Carbon sequestration within vegetation was calculated using biomass equations. Our study clearly indicates an increase of ecosystem services by bioengineering measures compared to conventionally fixed riverbanks. The dismantling of riprap removes up to 30 times more nitrogen and 20 times more phosphorous from the river load. Additional slope lowering increases both values up to 50-fold. The carbon storage capacity is four times higher in reed beds and 30 times higher in willow-brush mattresses. Our results show that bioengineering techniques for riverbank protection can be a feasible tool to support general efforts towards enhancing the self-purification of rivers and contribute to mitigating climate change, especially if conducted on a larger scale.

Crop fertilization affects pollination service provision - Common bean as a case study.

The demand for insect-pollinated crops is increasing. Conventional agricultural intensification heavily relies on increased input of fertilizers, which can have negative effects on local biodiversity. Such effects may be particularly accentuated in biodiversity hotspots that are naturally nutrient-poor. Ecological intensification of farming, i.e. practices that increase production through the increase of ecosystem services, emerges as an alternative to conventional intensification. For example, practices that boost abundance and diversity of crop pollinators can lead to substantial increases in cropland productivity. However, little is known about the synergisms and trade-offs between fertilizer input and such ecological intensification practices. Here we investigate interactive effects between fertilization practices and the provision of ecosystem services in a biodiversity hotspot where conventional agriculture is rapidly expanding (Brazilian savannas). We focus on a highly nitrogen-demanding crop species that benefits from pollinators (the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L.), for which nitrogen input greatly varies in the study region. Our findings show that positive effects of native pollinators on crop yield are most accentuated under low inputs of nitrogen (e.g. equal to or below 72kg ha-1). This interactive effect could be due to changes in flower visitor community composition or behaviour. Our study also suggests that landscape management practices that minimize isolation from patches of natural vegetation and maximize its cover nearby (within 500 meters) of production areas can increase pollinator and biocontrol agent abundance and richness. Overall, these results suggest that ecological intensification is a valuable alternative for common bean production in Brazil, and potentially other regions of the world. Land productivity can be enhanced if an adequate balance of chemical inputs and landscape management is achieved.

Assessing changes in the value of ecosystem services in response to land-use/land-cover dynamics in Nigeria

Increasing human activities worldwide have significantly altered the natural ecosystems and consequently, the services they provide. This is no exception in Nigeria, where land-use/land-cover has undergone a series of dramatic changes over the years mainly due to the ever-growing large population. However, estimating the impact of such changes on a wide range of ecosystem services is seldom attempted. Thus, on the basis of GlobeLand30 land-cover maps for 2000 and 2010 and using the value transfer methodology, we evaluated changes in the value of ecosystem services in response to land-use/land-cover dynamics in Nigeria. The results showed that over the 10-year period, cultivated land sprawl over the forests and savannahs was predominant, and occurred mainly in the northern region of the country. During this period, we calculated an increase in the total ecosystem services value (ESV) in Nigeria from 665.93 billion (2007 US$) in 2000 to 667.44 billion (2007 US$) in 2010, 97.38% of which was contributed by cultivated land. The value of provisioning services increased while regulation, support, recreation and culture services decreased, amongst which, water regulation (−11.01%), gas regulation (−7.13%), cultural (−4.84%) and climate regulation (−4.3%) ecosystem functions are estimated as the most impacted. The increase in the total ESV in Nigeria associated with the huge increase in ecosystem services due to cultivated land expansion may make land-use changes (i.e. the ever-increasing agricultural expansion in Nigeria) appear economically profitable. However, continuous loss of services such as climate and water regulation that are largely provided by the natural ecosystems can result in huge economic losses that may exceed the apparent gains from cultivated land development. Therefore, we advocate that the conservation of the natural ecosystem should be a priority in future land-use management in Nigeria, a country highly vulnerable to climate change and incessantly impacted by natural disasters such as flooding.

丹江口水源区生态系统服务时空变化及权衡协同关系

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 丹江口水源区生态系统服务时空变化及权衡协同关系 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201706281169 作者: 作者单位: 湖北大学,湖北大学,武汉大学 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 江西省重大生态安全问题监控协同创新中心专项项目（JXS-EW-08）；2015测绘地理信息公益性行业科研专项项目（201512026）；湖北省青年科技晨光计划（HBCG）；国家自然科学基金项目（41601298） Study on spatial-temporal change andtrade-off/synergy relationships of ecosystem services in the Danjiangkou water source area Author: Affiliation: Hubei university,, Fund Project: the major academician consulting projectthe of Chinese Academy of Engineering; Special Fund by Surveying & Mapping and Geoinformation Research in the Public Interest; Collaborative Innovation Center for Major Ecological Security Issues of Jiangxi Province and Monitoring Implementation;National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC;Hubei Chenguang Talented Youth Development Foundation (HBCG). 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:研究区域多种生态系统服务之间的权衡协同关系特征，对不同生态系统服务、不同区域之间的协调发展，实现利益相关方效益最大化，达到区域发展与生态保护"双赢"具有重要意义。针对目前权衡协同定性分析、长时间动态变化研究不足的现状，以丹江口水源区为例，在采用"当量因子法"求得研究区生态系统服务价值的基础上，使用长时间整体分析占优的相关性分析方法和短时期动态变化分析占优的生态系统服务权衡协同度（ESTD）模型对研究区1990-2015年10种生态系统服务的权衡协同关系展开研究。结果表明：1990-1995年，丹江口水源区生态系统服务价值呈负增长，之后则呈不断上涨的时序变化趋势，增幅最大的生态系统服务为水资源供给。生态服务价值最高的用地类型为林地，其次为草地和水域。空间上，生态系统服务价值呈东南高西北低特征。在丹江口水源区生态系统服务之间相互关系中，协同关系占64%，是丹江口水源区生态系统服务之间的主导关系，权衡关系较少，且大多存在于供给服务与调节服务、文化服务、支持服务之间。丹江口大坝加高后，即2005年之后，水源区内生态系统服务之间的权衡协同方向有所改变，改变明显的生态服务有净化环境、水文调节和水资源供给。这3种生态系统服务与生态系统服务之间的权衡关系增多，除这3种生态系统服务外，其余几种单项生态系统服务与生态系统服务之间的权衡关系减少。 Abstract:Ecosystem management that attempts to maximize the production of one ecosystem service may result in substantial declines in the provision of other ecosystem services. For this reason, understanding the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services is of considerable significance to balance the characteristics of multiple ecosystem services and maximize the benefits of ecosystem services. The current situation is that there is insufficient researches on qualitative analysis and long time series of dynamic change among the trade-offs and synergies relationship. In addition, the selection of ecosystem services are inadequate. The Danjiangkou water source area is an important area of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and clarifying the temporal and spatial variation characteristics and relationships among ecosystem services can provide reference guidance for the smooth progress of the water transfer project in the middle route of the South to North Water Transfer project. At present, analysis of the relationships among ecosystem services in the Danjiangkou water source area is still insufficient. Given this situation, we studied the ecosystem service relationships of a long time series in the Danjiangkou water source area using different methods. First, we used the equivalent factor method to estimate the ecosystem service value. We then discuss the spatial-temporal difference and relationship of ecosystem services in six periods by correlation analysis and using an ecosystem services trade-off degree (ESTD) model. Correlation analysis has the advantage over long time series analysis. The ESTD model has the advantage of dynamic change analysis for short time periods. The results showed that during the period of 1990 to 1995, the value of ecosystem services in the Danjiangkou water source area showed a negative growth. However, the value of ecosystem services significantly improved from 1995 to 2015. The largest increase in ecosystem services occurred in water supply, and forest land provided the highest value of ecosystem services. Ecosystem service value increased from northeast to southwest. Correlation analysis showed that synergy is the dominate relationship among ecosystem services, and that there are few trade-offs in the Danjiangkou water source area. Since the Danjiangkou dam was heightened (after 2005), the relationship among ecosystem services in the water source area have changed. The trade-off relationships in the water source area increased among water supply, hydrological adjusting, and environment depuration, and trade-offs were reduced in other ecosystem services. Human disturbance is the most important factor that results in ecosystem service change. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Revealed social preference for ecosystem services using the eco-price

Ecosystem services have predominately been valued from the perspective of individual preference, where the willingness to pay of an individual is measured either directly or indirectly. However, when one observes where money is spent on increasing ecosystem services, preserving them, compensating for their loss, or replacing lost services it is almost always through collective action of governments, corporations, or non-governmental organizations. This work suggests that revealed social preference is the most appropriate economic perspective for institutions to use in analyzing the value of ecosystem services, particularly when the scale of inference is large, the decisions to be made are multiple, or the final use of the ecosystem service is uncertain. The eco-price collates instances where society has paid for an increase in ecosystem services, to avoid their loss or restore damages, in the form of $ paid per biophysical unit of ecosystem service. Eco-prices are categorized by type of biophysical work done (i.e. water, carbon, nutrients, soil, and biodiversity). Applying the categorical eco-prices to biophysical ecosystem services flows for average forest and freshwater wetland conditions in Maryland yields an estimate of the annual ecosystem service benefit of $5,767 per hectare of forest and $9,693 per hectare of freshwater wetlands.

Reconfiguring an irrigation landscape to improve provision of ecosystem services

Over-allocation of fresh water resources to consumptive uses, coupled with recurring drought and the prospect of climate change, is compromising the stocks of natural capital in the world's basins and reducing their ability to provide water-dependent ecosystem services. To combat this, governments worldwide are making significant investment in efforts to improve the sharing of water between consumptive uses and the environment. Many investments are centred on the modernisation of inefficient irrigation delivery systems and the purchase of consumptive water for environmental flows. In this study, we applied spatial targeting within a cost–benefit framework to reconfigure agricultural land use in an irrigation district to achieve a 20% reduction in agricultural water use to increase environmental flows, and improve the provision of other ecosystem services. We demonstrate a targeted land use reconfiguration policy approach using spatial planning and optimisation models. Our model estimates a potential increase in the net present value of ecosystem services of up to $A 347 million. The increase in ecosystem services include recovering 62 GL of water for environmental flows, the sequestration of 10.6 million tonnes of CO2e/year, a 12 EC (μS/cm) reduction in river salinity, and an overall 9% increase in the value of agriculture. Without a spatially targeted approach to planning, a 20% reduction in water for irrigation could result in the loss of $A 68.7 million in economic returns to agriculture which may be only marginally offset by the increased value of ecosystem services resulting from the return of 62 GL of water to the environment.

Measuring the total economic value of restoring ecosystem services in an impaired river basin: results from a contingent valuation survey

Five ecosystem services that could be restored along a 45-mile section of the Platte river were described to respondents using a building block approach developed by an interdisciplinary team. These ecosystem services were dilution of wastewater, natural purification of water, erosion control, habitat for fish and wildlife, and recreation. Households were asked a dichotomous choice willingness to pay question regarding purchasing the increase in ecosystem services through a higher water bill. Results from nearly 100 in-person interviews indicate that households would pay an average of $21 per month or $252 annually for the additional ecosystem services. Generalizing this to the households living along the river yields a value of $19 million to $70 million depending on whether those refusing to be interviewed have a zero value or not. Even the lower bound benefit estimates exceed the high estimate of water leasing costs ($1.13 million) and conservation reserve program farmland easements costs ($12.3 million) necessary to produce the increase in ecosystem services.