Intangible Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Current constraints to reconcile tropical forest restoration and bioeconomy

AbstractLarge-scale forest restoration is vital for delivering a broad array of ecosystem services benefits to society. However, it is often perceived as an economically noncompetitive land use choice. Integrating economic opportunities into restoration aligns socioeconomic and environmental goals, reducing conflicts between forest production and conservation-oriented management decisions. Supply chains focusing on high-value goods can enhance the reach of forest restoration efforts and unite ecological and economic benefits in a multifunctional manner. The bioeconomy has emerged as a potential but critical driver for attracting investments in restoration. We outline the challenges and solutions to reconcile forest restoration and bioeconomy, specifically about (i) native timber production, (ii) non-timber forest products, (iii) biotechnological products, and (iv) intangible ecosystem services. This requires collaborative and multidisciplinary efforts to improve investment in large-scale projects. The intricacies of these issues intersect with research development, market dynamics, legal frameworks, and regulatory paradigms, underscoring the necessity for nuanced and tailored public policy interventions. These integrated approaches should enable tropical countries to lead the global forest-based economy and usher in a new era of forest restoration. Graphical abstract

Assessment of intangible ecosystem services of forests of the Ternopil region

Purpose. Assess the intangible ecosystem services of forests in the Ternopil region. Methods. Descriptive, statistical, assess and geoenvironmental analysis. Results. The article assess intangible ecosystem services forests of the Ternopil region: recreational capacity, oxygen production, carbon dioxide assimilation, greenhouse gas absorption. The region is dominated by operational forests, the average age of forests is 62 years. The main forest-forming species are oak, beech, hornbeam and ash. Ecologically permissible recreational capacity of forests of the Ternopil region is 824 400 people for all lands of the forest fund and 112 500 people for recreational-health forests. It is established that the average daily volume of oxygen production by forests of the region is 36,6 thousand tons, the volume of carbon dioxide assimilation – 45,8 thousand tons. Forests of Ternopil region, during the year, absorb 875 700 tons of greenhouse gases. The development of integrated use of forest resources and the expansion of the use of intangible forest resources remain priority areas for the forestry in the region. Conclusions. This area of research is promising and relevant, especially in the context of current global and regional climate change. Such studies should be detailed at the level of individual state forestry enterprises, administrative districts and territorial communities. The results of such research contribute to the monetization of forest ecosystem services and the rational management of forest ecosystems on the basis of sustainable development.

FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND THEIR VALUATION IN MIZORAM, THE EASTERN EXTENSION OF THE HIMALAYA

This paper examines forest ecosystem services and their valuation in Mizoram, the eastern extension of the Himalaya. This study was conducted by applying two approaches – qualitative and quantitative. The data were mainly gathered from secondary sources – the State of Environment Report of Mizoram, Aizawl, and the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Aizawl, Mizoram. Data on wetlands within the forest areas were also gathered from the Forest Survey of India 2019. Field observation was conducted to verify the data on the ground. The author visited several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and observed the rich forest ecosystem services. Mizoram obtains a rich floral diversity ranging from tropical wet forests to sub-temperate wet and dry forests and montane evergreen forests. About 86% of the total geographical area is covered by forest. Of which, 50% forest area is covered by bamboo forests. Here, bamboo has 27 species. The valuation of forest ecosystem services – tangible and intangible was carried out and benefits from different forest products were calculated. The study reveals that Mizoram has a very high value in ecosystem services. The annual valuation of tangible ecosystem services was noted from fuelwood, followed by timber, small wood, and poles. In terms of annual valuation of intangible ecosystem services, the highest was from pollination, followed by food and livelihood security, and prevention of soil erosion, and landslides. However, the use of ecosystem services is just negligible. Most of the services are unused. Even, tourism, mainly natural and eco-tourism has high potential but it is not developed yet. If the ecosystem services are used sustainably, the rural poor can enhance their livelihood, and the state government can earn sufficient revenue.

Ecosystems in a State of Flux: Evidence from A Kenyan Coastal Riparian Ecosystem

Riparian ecosystems are considered hotspots of carbon and nitrogen transformations. These biochemical transformations are driven by anthropogenic activities in the immediate riverine water catchments. The anthropogenic activities may include and not limited to extraction of goods such as agricultural products, wood products, honey, plant based pharmaceutical products, livestock products, firewood, water and grass for thatching homesteads. Riparian ecosystems also provide important tangible and intangible ecosystem services comprising spiritual and aesthetic functions, pollination, ecosystem detoxification functions, carbon and nitrogen sequestration and CO2 sinks for amelioration of climate change impacts among others. These ecosystems are increasingly threatened by degradation attributed to land use changes. Human perturbations such as crop farming on riparian land, overgrazing and population pressure on land resources influence degradation of riparian ecosystems, with profound effects on biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods. Evidence from the literature indicates that although there is a general understanding regarding the response of terrestrial and wetland ecosystems to human perturbations, there is a dearth of information on the response of African riparian ecosystems to ecologic and socio-economic impacts.

Ethical opportunities in deep-sea collection of polymetallic nodules from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.

Infrastructure supporting the transition of human societies from fossil fuels to renewable energy will require hundreds of millions of tons of metals. Polymetallic nodules on the abyssal seabed of the Clarion‐Clipperton Zone (CCZ), eastern North Pacific Ocean, could provide them. We focus on ethical considerations and opportunities available to the novel CCZ nodule‐collection industry, integrating robust science with strong pillars of social and environmental responsibility. Ethical considerations include harm to sea life and recovery time, but also the value of human life, indigenous rights, rights of nature, animal rights, intrinsic values, and intangible ecosystem services. A “planetary perspective” considers the biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, extends beyond mineral extraction to a life‐cycle view of impacts, and includes local, national, and global impacts and stakeholders. Stakeholders include direct nodule‐collection actors, ocean conservationists, companies, communities, interest groups, nations, and citizens globally, plus counterfactual stakeholders involved with or affected by intensification of terrestrial mining if ocean metals are not used. Nodule collection would harm species and portions of ecosystems, but could have lower life‐cycle impacts than terrestrial mining expansion, especially if nodule‐metal producers explicitly design for it and stakeholders hold them accountable. Participants across the value chain can elevate the role of ethics in strategic objective setting, engineering design optimization, commitments to stakeholders, democratization of governance, and fostering of circular economies. The International Seabed Authority is called to establish equitable and transparent distribution of royalties and gains, and continue engaging scientists, economists, and experts from all spheres in optimizing deep‐sea mineral extraction for humans and nature. Nodule collection presents a unique opportunity for an ambitious reset of ecological norms in a nascent industry. Embracing ethical opportunities can set an example for industrial‐scale activities on land and sea, accelerate environmental gains through environmental competition with land ores, and hasten civilization's progress toward a sustainable future. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:634–654. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

A Bayesian approach to ecosystem service trade-off analysis utilizing expert knowledge

The concept of ecosystem services is gaining attention in the context of sustainable resource management. However, it is inherently difficult to account for tangible and intangible services in a combined model. The aim of this study is to extend the definition of ecosystem service trade-offs by using Bayesian Networks to capture the relationship between tangible and intangible ecosystem services. Tested is the potential of creating such a network based on existing literature and enhancement via expert elicitation. This study discusses the significance of expert elicitation to enhance the value of a Bayesian Network in data-restricted case studies, underlines the importance of inclusion of experts’ certainty, and demonstrates how multiple sources of knowledge can be combined into one model accounting for both tangible and intangible ecosystem services. Bayesian Networks appear to be a promising tool in this context, nevertheless, this approach is still in need of further refinement in structure and applicable guidelines for expert involvement and elicitation for a more unified methodology.

MULTITEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF FOREST COVER CHANGE USING REMOTE SENSING AND GIS OF KANHA TIGER RESERVE, CENTRAL INDIA

Abstract. Forest ecosystems play a key role in global ecological balance and provide a variety of tangible and intangible ecosystem services that support the livelihoods of rural poor. In addition to the anthropogenic pressure on the forest resources, climate change is also impacting vegetation productivity, biomass and phenological patterns of the forest. There are many studies reported all over the world which use change in Land Use Land Cover (LULC) to assess the impact of climate change on the forest. Land use change (LC) refers to any anthropogenic or natural changes in the terrestrial ecosystem at a variety of spatial or temporal scale. Changes in LULC induced by any causes (natural/anthropogenic) play a major role in global as well as regional scale pattern which in turn affects weather and climate. Remote sensing (RS) data along with Geographic Information System (GIS) help in inventorying, mapping and monitoring of earth resources for effective and sustainable landscape management of forest areas. Accurate information about the current and past LULC including natural forest cover along with accurate means of monitoring the changes are very necessary to design future adaptation strategies and formulation of policies in tune of climate change. Therefore, this study attempts to analyze the changes of LULC of Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) due to climate change. The rationale for selecting KTR is to have a largely intact forest area without any interference so that any change in LULC could be attributed to the impact of climate change. The change analysis depicted changes in land use land cover (LULC) pattern by using multi-temporal satellite data over a period of time. Further, these detected changes in different LULC class influence the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. As the study site is a Sal dominated landscape; the findings could be applied in other Sal dominated landscape of central India in making future policies, adaptation strategies and silvicultural practices for reducing the vulnerability of forest-dependent communities.

An ecosystem services perspective for classifying and valuing the environmental impacts of geothermal power projects

An ecosystem services perspective can provide a useful means of understanding, in human well-being terms, the type, scale and value of environmental impacts deriving from the deployment of renewable energy technologies. This paper provides the first thematic review of the ecosystem service impacts commonly associated with developing geothermal areas for power projects. In this study, the typical ecosystem service impacts of geothermal power projects are classified using the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) typology. Next, in order to develop a guide for future practitioners, an analysis is conducted of the most suitable valuation methods for the respective ecosystem service impacts. A pluralist approach is advised to aide decision-making, involving the use of monetary and non-monetary information. A number of non-market valuation studies may be required to estimate the total economic value of affected geothermal ecosystems, likely including the contingent valuation and travel cost methods. The more intangible ecosystem services associated with geothermal areas, such as artistic inspiration and landscape aesthetics, are best valued using non-monetary approaches, including deliberative methods. Finally, in recognition of the importance of having a strong physical basis underpinning non-market valuation techniques, this paper critically assesses the merits of the most appropriate data sources for future environmental economists working in a geothermal context. A literature review reveals that neither Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) nor Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) studies in a geothermal context have embedded an ecosystem service perspective into their processes. EIA are closest to fulfilling the needs of environmental economists, encompassing the majority of ecosystem service impacts, yet further methodological progress is recommended to ensure that all project stakeholders are given voice and arbitrage in the data-gathering process.

The changing Himalayan landscape: pine-oak forest dynamics and the supply of ecosystem services

This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on pine and oak forest dynamics in the mid-montane central Himalayan forest and the ecosystem services associated with these vegetation types. Forest ecosystems play a crucial role in the livelihood of the central Himalayas as well as the adjacent plains, providing a number of tangible and intangible ecosystem services, at each stage of succession. The successional sequence starts from warm temperate grasslands, followed by early successional pine forests, mid-successional pine-oak mixed forests and eventually culminating in a late successional oak community. This successional sequence is considerably influenced by disturbances like fire, grazing, and lopping, which maintain the vegetation types in their current form and can act as potential drivers of change. Fire and grazing in grasslands and pine forests inhibit the successional process by hindering the establishment of pioneer and late successional species, respectively. Potential land-cover changes with forest succession can lead to changes in ecosystem services supply. We found that the number of ecosystem services associated with these vegetation types increase from early to late successional community. Current management approaches fail to include the dynamic nature of vegetation, which is essential for maintenance of ecosystem service supply. In conclusion, the trade-offs between ES of global (biodiversity and carbon) and local importance (fuel wood and fodder) have to be examined carefully in order to have effective conservation and management plans for the region.

O custo econômico do desmatamento da Floresta Amazônica brasileira (1988-2014)

This paper aims to calculate the economic cost of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. As a proxy for such cost we have used monetary estimates of the losses of intangible ecosystem services generated by deforestation. Such services – usually known as regulatory services – are important as they contribute to human well-being. The recognition of the importance of protecting forest ecosystems and their relevance to the provision of regulatory services can be stimulated by valuation studies and the subsequent presentation of monetary indicators that make explicit the economic costs resulting from deforestation. These results can be used mainly for educational purposes. Using the benefit transfer technique, the estimated total economic cost over the 1988-2014 period was about R$ 223 billion (2013 prices), which amounted to almost one entire GDP generated by the Brazilian Northern region in only one year (2012). These results corroborate our initial hypothesis that the intangible benefits provided by the Amazon Forest have a significant economic value.Keywords: ecosystem services, economic costs, Amazon.

Demonstrating the importance of intangible ecosystem services from peri-urban landscapes

Among ecosystem services, the various categories of intangible services linked to human perception, such as aesthetics, recreational values and cultural heritage, must be rated alongside tangible services linked to physical processes, such as wildlife habitats, clean water and air, and filter- and buffer effects. This is a pre-requisite for a sustainable development with a balance between ecological, social and economic values. We analyse ecosystem services in areas of the urban fringe of Copenhagen, where the services provided are mainly related to human perception. We employ relatively simple methods in selected landscapes to qualify or quantify the aesthetics and recreational value, and the scale of the welfare economic value of these ecosystem services. In the first case area, the Danish state acquired 50 villas covering more than 50 ha in order to recreate open vistas and gain access for the public to the seaside. In the second case area, peri-urban open landscapes were protected by conservation orders, to maintain and enhance the benefits of green space for the growing urban population. We assess the value – in a broad sense – of these ecosystem services using three practical methods: a landscape evaluation in terms of services and qualities, an assessment of actual recreational use, and finally an assessment of the costs – in terms of residential development values lost – of securing the provision of aesthetic qualities and recreational opportunities. Searching the original planning documents we uncovered the original motivation for the land evaluation and decision. The arguments behind the designation and protection of the areas were primarily aesthetic and potentials for recreational use. The two areas receive annually 2–2.5 million and 400.000 visits respectively, proving their strong recreational value. The value of the demolished houses in the first case area exceeds 115 million €, and the value of the lost development opportunities in the second case area exceeds 280 million €. By combination the three methods, we substantiated that the intangible services may dominate the tangible in cases like these, stressing the need for planners to assess the role and value hereof.