Management Of Ecosystem Services Research Articles

A Distributed Catchment—Scale Evaluation of the Potential of Soil and Water Conservation Interventions to Reduce Storm Flow and Soil Loss

Finding effective ecosystem services (ESS) management practices to counteract land degradation and poverty is becoming increasingly urgent in the Ethiopian highlands, where livelihood security is strongly dependent on local ESS, particularly those provided by water and soil. In this paper, we test the effects of widely implemented soil and water conservation (SWC) interventions on storm flow and sediment concentration in the Debre Mawi watershed (representative of watersheds in the upper Blue Nile basin and Ethiopian highlands). The SWC interventions were tested with a Parameter Efficient Distributed (PED) model. The PED model simulates saturation excess runoff from degraded and saturated valley bottoms, and base and interflow from hillsides. The model was calibrated with observed runoff and sediment data in a 95-ha subcatchment. We found that the PED model simulated the discharge and soil loss well by decreasing the proportion of degraded lands due to installing SWC practices. The results show that four years after the implementation of SWC practices, the infiltration of rainwater was improved in 53% of the degraded lands. Thus, installing SWC practices on hillsides where infiltration is limited is most beneficial and will result in greater water availability during the dry phase, especially in locations where volcanic dikes block the lateral flow.

Biodiversity-Centric Habitat Networks for Green Infrastructure Planning: A Case Study in Northern Italy

Green infrastructure (GI) networks comprising multiple natural and artificial habitats are important tools for the management of ecosystem services. However, even though ecosystem services are deeply linked with the state of biodiversity, many approaches to GI network planning do not explicitly consider the ecological needs of biotic communities, which are often threatened by anthropic activities even in presence of protected areas. Here, to contribute in fill this gap, we describe an easy-to-apply, biodiversity-centric approach to model an ecological network as a backbone for a GI network, based on the ecological needs of a range of representative species. For each species, ideal habitats (nodes) were identified, and crossing costs were assigned to other habitat types depending on their compatibility with the species ecology. Corridors linking the nodes were then mapped, minimizing overall habitat crossing costs. We applied the method to the Isonzo–Vipacco river area in Northern Italy, highlighting a potential ecological network where nodes and corridors occupied 27% and 11.8% of the study area, respectively. The prospective of its conflicts with anthropic activities and possible solutions for its implementation was also discussed. Our method could be applied to a variety of situations and geographic contexts, being equally useful for supporting the protection of entire biocenoses or of specific sensitive species, as well as enhancing the ecosystem services they provide.

Ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies relationships and their driving factor analysis based on the Bayesian belief Network: A case study of the Yellow River Basin

A systematic understanding of shifts in the temporal and spatial distributions of ecosystem services (ESs) in the Yellow River Basin and the trade-offs and synergies between these services and their driving variables is essential for effective management of the environment and for enhancing human well-being. This study quantitatively assessed the carbon storage (CS), water yield (WY), habitat quality (HQ), and soil retention (SR) from 2000 to 2020, combinded Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) and ESs, determined the crucial elements influencing the supply of ESs via sensitivity analysis, identified synergies and trade-offs between ESs via probabilistic reasoning, and explored the driving processes via scenario analysis. The following are the key findings of this research. (1) Geographically, the Yellow River Basin, SR, CS, and WY exhibited higher levels in southern regions and lower levels in northern regions, whereas HQ showed higher levels in the northwestern region and lower levels in the southeastern region. Both WY and CS showed annual increases in the time series. (2) With respect to trade-offs and synergistic interactions, HQ, WY, and CS had a synergistic connection, whereas SR and HQ, CS, WY had a trade-off connection. (3) According to the BBN sensitivity analysis, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), temperature, precipitation, and land use (LU) were the main variable nodes affecting ESs. (4) The results of the scenario analysis revealed that LU was the primary driver of the four ESs In addition, precipitation and NDVI primarily drove the synergistic and trade-off relationships between HQ, CS, and WY. This study combined BBN and ESs to develop a new method for investigating ES functions and established a solid scientific foundation for ES management and macroeconomic growth planning.

Ocean economic and cultural benefit perceptions as stakeholders' constraints for supporting conservation policies: A multi-national investigation

Given the vastness and interconnectedness of the ocean, marine conservation requires international treaties, especially after the High Seas Treaty was signed. However, most international marine conservation treaties do not have enforcement mechanisms and leave the fulfillment of obligations to the States’ responsibility. As States’ monitoring, managing, and enforcing capacity is limited, including stakeholders in policy-making and -implementing processes is crucial. Although some multi-national studies have been conducted to examine predictors of stakeholders’ support for conservation management and valuations of ecosystem services, few have focused on how their perceived most crucial economic and cultural benefits of their countries’ oceans are associated with their support level for policies focused on ocean preservation. Thus, the current study aims to fill this gap by employing the Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics on a dataset of 709 stakeholders from 42 countries, a part of the MaCoBioS project funded by the European Commission H2020. We found that stakeholders’ considerations of the ocean’s provisioning (or economic) and cultural ecosystem services as their countries’ most vital benefits are generally negatively associated with the policy support level. Regarding economic aspects, stakeholders considering transportation and shipping, renewable energy generation, and oil and gas provision as the most crucial benefits their countries’ oceans provide tend to give less support for policies focusing on ocean preservation. For cultural aspects, perceiving recreation and tourism, aesthetic pleasure, mental health and well-being support, and sense of identity provision as the most important benefits provided by the country’s ocean are negatively associated with the policy support level. These findings provide preliminary evidence on the stakeholders’ psychological constraints to support marine conservation-focused policies, which can be insights that might explain why international treaties about environmental and maritime issues mostly failed to produce their intended effects and warn of the risks and challenges to enacting marine protection policies in the high seas effectively. Recommendations for improving the effective management of multi-use marine space and building the eco-surplus among stakeholders are also provided to reduce the perceived competing interests among stakeholders.

Drivers of ecosystem services and their trade-offs and synergies in different land use policy zones of Shaanxi Province, China

Clarifying the marginal effects of dominant factors influencing ecosystem services in different land use policy zones and the resulting changes in trade-offs and synergies within ecosystem services is an essential prerequisite for the sophisticated management of ecosystem services. Moreover, it is a crucial requirement for achieving the sustained provision of ecosystem services and sustainable human development. This study quantified spatial and temporal changes of ecosystem services in different land use policy zones of Shaanxi, assessed the marginal effects of drivers using the random forest, and explained the relationships within ecosystem services by the geographically weighted regression model. The results showed that water yield (WY) increased in the Economic Development Zone, food Production (FP), water yield (WY), carbon storage (CS), soil conservation (SC), and habitat quality (HQ) improved in the Ecological Enhancement Zone and Ecological Restoration Zone. In contrast, water yield (WY) and soil conservation (SC) in the Ecological Conservation Zone decreased from 2000 to 2020. Changes in the dominant factors in different policy zones affected ecosystem services in a non-stationary manner. For example, the initial increase in construction land ratio would lead to complex and dramatic effects on multiple ecosystem services. Differences in the most significant factors and their respective marginal effects led to disparities in transformations of trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem services in different land use policy zones. The area of trade-offs between water yield (WY) and carbon storage (CS) decreased by 1.67% in the Ecological Conservation Zone, while it increased by 1.53% in the Ecological Restoration Zone. This study could provide theoretical guidance for different policy zones to optimize ecological management policies, coordinate human-earth relations, and achieve sustainable development.

Integrating historical patterns and future trends for ecological management zone identification and validation: A case study in Beijing, China

Ecological management zones (EMZs) are pivotal in improving the management of ecosystem services (ESs) and promoting sustainable regional development. In this study, we developed a comprehensive framework aimed at identifying EMZs and substantiating their efficacy through the amalgamation of historical evolutionary patterns and future trends. We applied this framework to Beijing, China, and selected five vital ESs for the study area namely, water yield (WY), carbon sequestration (CS), habitat quality (HQ), soil conservation (SC) and water purification (WP). The framework involves two key components. Firstly, the identification of EMZs is based on the historical evolution of five types of ESs and the dynamic assessment of ES bundles. Subsequently, it enables a simulation of various scenarios to predict future alterations in land use and ESs, thereby validating the effectiveness of the identified EMZs. Our findings reveal notable spatial heterogeneity among different ESs, and that CS, HQ, SC, and WP exhibited synergies, while WY and showed trade-offs with the remaining four types of ESs. Based on an analysis of ES bundle evolution trajectories, we identified four types of EMZs: ecological conservation zone, ecological restoration zone, ecological transition zone and sustainable construction zone. Through strategic EMZ planning, it becomes possible to augment the area of forestland and grassland, alleviate the contradiction between arable land and construction land, and enhance the supply of various ESs. The proposed framework not only offers a novel perspective on the scientific management of ESs but also furnishes decision-makers and planners with an intuitive understanding of the tangible benefits associated with EMZ planning.

Salvage Logging and Secondary Succession Promote Spider Diversity in Post-disturbance Stands in Western Germany

Abstract Climate change and biodiversity loss strongly affect ecosystems. In recent years, forests have suffered substantially from climate-induced disturbances resulting in bark beetle outbreaks in coniferous forests. In forest plantations, such disturbances often cause large-scale diebacks, which are frequently salvage-logged. However, the consequences of natural disturbances and subsequent management for forest biodiversity and ecosystem services within plantations are largely unclear. Because they comprise good bioindicators for forest alterations, we here investigated epigeal spider diversity and community composition of three post-disturbance management approaches in former spruce plantations in western Germany. Taxonomic diversity of spiders was significantly enhanced on salvage-logged and secondary succession compared with standing deadwood sites. Nevertheless, the latter provided a refuge for forest specialists, moisture and shade-loving as well as smaller species, whereas the other two management categories were mostly inhabited by larger spiders associated with open habitats. Because all three post-disturbance management approaches harbored highly distinct spider communities and divergent functional guilds, we propose the application of a variety of management approaches for bark beetle-affected spruce plantations. The resulting habitat heterogeneity will likely enhance the biodiversity of spiders and other taxonomic groups. Study Implications: Bark beetle outbreaks became severe disturbances in spruce plantations. The management of affected stands usually aims at mitigating economic losses, but within the current biodiversity crisis, it is increasingly important to consider ecological consequences. This study shows that salvage logging or secondary succession can increase spider taxonomic diversity, although forest species preferred standing deadwood sites. All management categories harbored highly distinct spider assemblages characterized by different ecological and functional guilds. Our results indicated that spider communities were influenced by canopy openness, microclimate, and competition rather than post-disturbance management. Therefore, management practices should include diverse approaches to foster many different spider assemblages.

Spatiotemporal characteristics and drivers of ecosystem service interactions in the Dongting Lake Basin

Uncovering the spatiotemporal features of ecosystem services (ESs) and their intricate interrelations in large lake basins can facilitate the development of scientific management measures for various ESs. Previous studies have focused less on watershed units and their historical dynamics, and the ecosystem service (ES) driving mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we focused on Hunan Province—the main coverage area of the Dongting Lake Basin (China's second largest freshwater lake), investigated the spatiotemporal characteristics of seven typical ESs and their interactions, identified the ecosystem service bundle (ESB) historical spatial patterns and revealed the socio-ecological driving mechanisms of these ES changes. Results showed that: (1) the spatial distribution of most ESs remained stable in the basin. Food production (FP), water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC) and net primary productivity (NPP) improved over time, whereas nitrogen retention (NR), habitat quality (HQ) and outdoor recreation (OR) declined; (2) tradeoffs were observed between food production and most ESs, whereas synergistic relationships between all ESs except food production. The tradeoff relationship between food production and water yield increased significantly over time, while the synergistic relationship between water yield and nitrogen retention decreased significantly; (3) five ecosystem service bundles were identified. And the transformation of soil conservation area into integrated ecological regulation area mainly occurred from 2000 to 2020, resulting in an increase in the function of ecological regulation services; (4) natural conditions such as precipitation, topography and vegetation, as well as socio-economic factors such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and population, were key factors affecting ESs. The interactions among most of these drivers can further elucidate the ES changes. Our results emphasize the need for a watershed-based assessment and a historical dynamic perspective in the sustainable management of ESs.

Linking network ecology and ecosystem services to benefit people

Abstract Ecosystems are rapidly degraded by anthropogenic pressures, affecting the provision of ecosystem services. Therefore, it is increasingly important that we can quantify and manage ecosystem services to maintain human well‐being. Many ecosystem services are underpinned by ecosystem functions and processes that are driven by interspecific ecological interactions. Humans then benefit from ecosystem services through socio‐ecological interactions. Therefore, interaction network approaches can provide a unique understanding of ecosystem service flows. In this paper, we assess the current interface between network ecology and ecosystem services, before exploring how work linking these two fields could be enhanced. We emphasise the value of network approaches and explore network methods to improve the assessment and management of ecosystem services. Within this, we highlight the role of local and indigenous knowledge in operationalising network approaches in a useful ecosystem service context. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Residents’ Willingness to Pay for Forest Ecosystem Services Based on Forest Ownership Classification in South Korea

South Korea is one of the countries with a significant proportion of its national territory covered by forests. However, it remains unclear what management strategies for providing forest ecosystem services are preferred by the residents. This study explores South Korean residents’ preferences for managing local forest ecosystem services, with a focus on how these preferences vary by forest ownership. Using the choice experiment method, this research identified residents’ willingness to pay for seven key local forest ecosystem services, along with a tax measure. The findings indicate a strong preference for biodiversity as the primary ecosystem service in both national/public and private forests, with residents willing to pay an average of KRW 28,370 (USD 21.80) per household per year and KRW 31,670 (USD 24.34) per household per year, respectively, for its enhancement. Preferences varied depending on forest ownership, with noticeable differences in perceptions of services like water supply, non-timber forest product supply, carbon storage, and recreation. Based on forest ownership, these variations in perceptions highlight the importance of managing ecosystem services in line with national/public forests and private forests, which significantly influences residents’ preferences. The study emphasizes the necessity of formulating ecosystem service management policies that account for the region’s unique natural resource characteristics, aiming to maximize ecological benefits for the local population.

How are the impacts of multiple anthropogenic drivers considered in marine ecosystem service research? A systematic literature review

Abstract In recent decades, great research efforts have been made to understand how specific anthropogenic drivers impact coastal marine ecosystems and their services. Nevertheless, we still lack a synthesis of the existing knowledge on single and multiple anthropogenic drivers impacts to coastal marine systems, which is necessary to guide future work. The objective of this paper is to assess the current knowledge on the impacts of anthropogenic drivers and their interactions on coastal marine ecosystem services, with emphasis on abiotic drivers as dissolved nutrients (eutrophication or de‐eutrophication), temperature (warming), pH (acidification) and oxygen (hypoxia). We performed a systematic review of the literature consisting of 164 papers using the PRISMA method (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses). We only include English‐written papers, we exclude non‐English papers to avoid potential errors in representing or interpreting scientific information due to language limitations among the authors. The results show that coastal marine ecosystem service research has largely focused on single drivers, while multiple driver assessments are less common. Assessments partially integrate multiple driver complexity, but they do not consider (1) relations and feedbacks between drivers; 2() social processes dynamics; and (3) temporal and spatial scales. Synthesis and applications. We have reviewed the current scientific knowledge on how human drivers affect coastal marine ecosystem services. We found that understanding the combined effects of different drivers and considering various time and space scales is still a pending issue. Ignoring multiple drivers, their interactions and time and space scales limits our understanding of reality, and results in high levels of uncertainty. This affects policies and actions, as they rely on uncertain information. Thus, incomplete knowledge leads to poor management of coastal ecosystem services. To improve this, we propose research framework to better consider multiple drivers and time and space factors.

Multiscale Ecological Zoning Management with Coupled Ecosystem Service Bundles and Supply–Demand Balance, the Case of Hangzhou, China

Grasping the interrelationship between the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs) and spatial scale characteristics is the foundation for effective ecological zoning management, which helps to realize a win–win situation for both ecological protection and economic development. This paper focuses on the following three real problems: mismatch in ES supply and demand evaluation, mechanical and subjective delineation of ecological zoning, and rough management strategies, and constructs a multi-scale ecological zoning management framework for the “comprehensive evaluation of supply and demand, ecological zoning, and enhancement of human well-being”. This study integrates the InVEST model, SOM, Z-score quadrant matching, and coordination degree method, and applies them to the ecological management zoning of Hangzhou. The results show that (1) the spatial differentiation of ESs in Hangzhou is significant. The spatial pattern of the five types of ES supply varies at the county scale and the grid scale on which ES demand is concentrated and is consistent at different scales. (2) ES supply–demand matching in Hangzhou is at the basic coordination and can be divided into four modes including HH, LH, LL, and HL at both the county and grid scales. On the small scale, the proportion of mismatches declines slightly, but the severity rises. (3) ES supply is divided into four categories as follows: the food production bundle, the carbon storage bundle, the ESs balancing bundle, and the ESs depleting bundle, and clarifies the priority of ES management. (4) Construct an ecological management practice path, delineates 6 ecological management zones at the county scale and 19 secondary management zones at the grid scale. Targeted measures are proposed in terms of supply–demand adjustment strategies, ecological management strategies, and key implementation areas. This study helps to incorporate the interaction between the supply and demand of ESs into the planning framework and provides decision-making support for refined ecological management.

An integrated ecosystem service-based approach for the sustainable management of forested islands in South Korea

Implementing sustainable island forest management policies requires categorizing the islands into groups based on key indicators and establishing a consistent management system. This study proposes a novel framework to support an ecosystem service-based approach to managing forested islands in South Korea. First, a typology of six forested island categories is established based on varying extents of natural vegetation cover (as a percentage of forest cover) and connectivity to the mainland. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) analysis was conducted with island forest experts to identify priority ecosystem services (ESs) for the sustainable management of each island type. On connected islands, provisioning services (natural resources and natural medicines) are more important than regulatory (erosion control) or supporting services (genetic diversity). On unconnected islands, particularly those with a small proportion of natural vegetation, regulatory services (erosion control) require a greater emphasis on management. Since Type 3 islands require urgent management as connectivity to the mainland makes natural vegetation=sparse island forest ecosystems vulnerable to anthropogenic activities, the land-use scoring method was performed on Jin-do. Comparisons between the AHP-derived expert demand for key island ESs and the spatial distribution of ES supply potential revealed mismatches between supply and demand for erosion control, freshwater supply and habitat provision. The framework developed in this study can help guide policy and decision-making processes and indicate where interventions should be focused to achieve sustainable island management.

Projections of climate change impacts on ecosystem services and the role of land use adaptation in France

This study examines the complex relationship between climate change and ecosystem services (ESs) in France. We explore both the direct effects of climate change and the indirect effects of land-use change on six regulating ESs (e.g., habitat quality, water retention) and two provisioning ESs (e.g., crop production, livestock production). Results indicate that while climate change may initially have positive impacts on ESs, the induced negative impacts of land-use adaptation often overshadow these benefits. We show the effectiveness of a greenhouse gas (GHG) tax of 200€/tCO2 eq on agriculture in offsetting the negative effects of land-use adaptation to climate change on ESs. This highlights the importance of integrating economic instruments, such as carbon pricing mechanisms, to promote the sustainable management of ESs in the context of climate change.

Integrating social-ecological system into watershed ecosystem services management: A case study of the Jialing River Basin, China

A severe decline in ecosystem services (ES) has accompanied the rapid development of human societies. There is a growing interest in considering ES management from a systemic and integrated perspective. Yet, researchers still need to explore effective ways to integrate human and natural systems for strengthening ES. This study proposes an integrating framework that connects the concept of social-ecological system (SES) with ES. We utilize land use types as indicators of basic SES structure and employ the InVEST model to evaluate typical ES in the Jialing River Basin (JRB). By analyzing spatial and temporal characteristics of SES and multiple typical ES, we investigate how ES is related to different SES types. The results reveal that: (1) from 1980 to 2020, the SES of the JRB underwent significant transformations, including a decrease in cropland areas, while construction land and forestland areas increased. Especially, construction land SES experienced an increase as high as 212.53%. (2) Regarding ES, water yield (WY) increased while soil conservation (SC), carbon storage (CS), and habitat quality (HQ) decreased. (3) The relationship analysis demonstrated disparities in levels of ES across various SES types. Construction land SES exhibited the highest average WY but lower SC, CS, and HQ values compared to forestland which had higher average SC, CS, and HQ instead. These findings imply that regional ES will be positively or negatively affected by transformation within SES. In the long run, it is crucial to synthesize both the characteristics of SES and functional benefits provided by ES in the JRB, then control the favorable transformations within SES to enhance a sustainable supply of ES. This study provides a novel methodology for connecting SES and ES comprehensively with new perspectives that will be beneficial for building regional SES management and ES enhancement.

Tree adaptive growth (TAG) model: a life-history theory-based analytical model for post-thinning forest stand dynamics.

Understanding stand dynamics is essential for predicting future wood supply and associated ecosystem services for sustainable forest management. The dynamics of natural stands can be characterized by age-dependent growth and yield models. However, dynamics in managed stands appear somewhat different from that of natural stands, especially with difficulties in explaining the phenomenon of post-thinning overcompensation, based upon some long-term observations. Though overcompensation is an ideal outcome for the forest sector, it had been largely treated as an outlier and thus ignored or dismissed as "out-of-the-ordinary". We developed a life history theory-based, state-dependent model of Tree Adaptive Growth (TAG) to investigate this phenomenon and verified that overcompensation should be a common outcome in post-thinning forest stands when the stand growth over time is sigmoid shaped. TAG posits that individual trees will invest proportionately more into growth following thinning because it is evolutionarily adaptive to do so. Our investigation of the model's behavior unearthed diverse stand growth patterns similar to that which is observed in the empirical datasets and predicted by a statistics-based Tree's Compensatory Growth (TreeCG) model. A simple, theory-driven, analytical model, TAG, can reproduce the diverse growth patterns in post-thinning stands and thus assist addressing silviculture-related issues. The model can be applied to various jurisdictions even without detailed regional growth and yield relationships and is capable of incorporating the effects of other time sensitive factors like fertilization, pruning, and climate change.

Participatory forest management for sustainable rural livelihoods and forest ecosystem services: The case of Deneba Forest Managing Cooperative in Ethiopia

Participatory forestry management(PFM) enables direct engagement of local communities in sustainable forest resource management, utilization and decision-making. This study evaluated PFM and its contribution to sustainable rural livelihood and forest ecosystem services. The study sites were selected using purposive sampling technique. The sample households were designated using a stratified random sampling from forest user groups(FUGs) and non-user groups(NFUGs). Forest inventory, household survey, focus group discussion, key informant interviews and personal field observations were used for primary data collection. Results indicated that the PFM enhances the forest cover, plantation volume ha−1, number of trees ha−1, biodiversity conservation, regeneration capacity with more seedling and sapling population, and ecosystem services. The PFM had a positive and progressive contribution to forest resource management, income diversification, poverty alleviation, which provided the opportunity to diversify livelihoods, particularly of low-income households. The main challenges to the implementation of PFM were uneven FUG participation and benefit sharing, a weak institutional capacity and support, and a lack of strong coordination among various actors. Firewood collection, construction, and search of new farmlands were the major challenges. Therefore, to mitigate deforestation, degradation of forest resources and loss of biodiversity consequently to sustainably improve biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and livelihoods of PFM participants, the local communities, government and other key stakeholders should weaken the top-down governance of forest and empower local community governance in forest management; encourage a sense of belongingness of local communities to the forest; address the problem of open access to forest resources; and enhance the FUG income, including market networks.

Just graze it! Biodiversity, nectar and forage resources in cultural landscapes grazed by different livestock species

ABSTRACT The Nordhordland UNESCO Biosphere Reserve encompasses a heterogeneous landscape which provides numerous ecosystem services. Semi-natural grasslands provide forage for traditionally managed livestock and are important sources of nectar and pollen for pollinators. However, these services are not evenly distributed due to different biotic and abiotic constraints of the fjord landscape, which stretches from flat coastal areas to steep hills and mountains inland. We studied how geographic location and grazing livestock type affect the plant species richness, plant functional group composition, nectar and forage resources of these grasslands. We recorded plant species percentage cover in 30 fields in the Nordhordland Biosphere Reserve grazed by sheep, goats or cattle, and from these data we calculated indicator values for forage and nectar resource using species index values from existing trait databases. Sites grazed by cattle had significantly different plant functional group compositions than sites grazed by sheep or goats, independent of geographical location. Forage resource indicator values were lower at coastal sites grazed by sheep. We found a weak but significant positive correlation between nectar resource indicator value and plant species richness, as well as between nectar and forage resource indicator values. Type of livestock and geographical location are not the only factors influencing provisioning services in semi-natural grasslands. Nonetheless, traditional grazing maintains ecosystem service delivery even in low-productive coastal areas. Forage resource, nectar provision and plant species richness appear to be bundled, providing clear guidance for managing ecosystem services in Nordhordland UNESCO Biosphere Reserve’s valuable cultural landscapes.

Advancing the optimization of urban–rural ecosystem service supply-demand mismatches and trade-offs

ContextIntensified human activities have disrupted landscape patterns, causing a reduction in the supply of ecosystem services (ESs) and an increase in demand, especially in urban agglomerations. This supply-demand imbalance will eventually lead to unsustainable landscapes and needs to be optimized.ObjectiveBased on ES supply-demand mismatch and trade-off relationships across urban–rural landscapes, this study explored which ESs need to be optimized and identified priority restoration regions of ESs that require optimization to promote landscape sustainability in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration.MethodsA methodological framework for ES supply-demand optimization in urban–rural landscapes was developed. urban–rural landscapes were identified using Iso cluster classification tool. ES supply was quantified using biophysical models and empirical formulas, and demand was quantified through consumption and expectations. Restoration Opportunities Optimization Tool was then adopted to identify priority regions.ResultsFrom 2000 to 2020, most of ES supply were lowest in urban areas and highest in rural areas, while demand exhibited the opposite. Although supply was increasing, it did not match demand. ES deficits were dominant in urban areas; both deficits and trade-offs were dominant in urban–rural fringe; and trade-offs were dominant in rural areas. There were 13,175 km2 of priority regions distributed in urban–rural landscapes, and their spatial heterogeneity was influenced by ES deficits and trade-offs.ConclusionDifferences in ESs supply-demand relationships affected the necessity of optimizing ESs zoning in urban–rural landscapes. Assigning weights reasonably according to trade-off curves to determine priority regions could facilitate both efficient use of resources and sustainable ES management for urban–rural regions.

Integrated assessment and mapping of provisioning services for sustainable management of natural resources, the case of Lake Hawassa Basin, Ethiopia

Lake Hawassa Basin (LHB)-the study area is known for its rich and diverse aquatic and terrestrial natural resource base. However, the prevailing environmental and social problems, such as land degradation, deforestation, pollution, resource exploitation, etc. impacted the existing provisioning services (PS), and the effect becomes remarkable unless sound management is in place. The study aimed at the assessment and mapping of PS to suggest development options for decision-makers. The study employed various methods including primary and secondary data collection, including existing Land Use Land Cover (LULC), desk review, stakeholder consultations, site visits, expert judgment matrix, and ArcGIS v10.1. The study results include 6 PS identified and prioritized from the existing 14 PS, mapping of the spatial pattern of the selected 6 PS at the basin scale, and alternative development options recommended for the decision-making process conducted by decision-makers and development partners to ensure efficient management of ecosystem services in LHB. The importance of this study, as well as the simplicity and user-friendly nature of the methods and approach adopted, enables interested parties to replicate while conducting similar studies in different places within the country or globally. The intervention of adopting this study approach helps also to avoid or minimize the aforesaid biophysical and socioeconomic environmental problems and ensure development activities planned or implemented in the respective study area are environmentally friendly, and socially acceptable, through sustainable management of natural resources. In this regard, decision-makers and development partners shall provide adequate consideration for this study approach and the result of demonstrating basin scale spatial variability of PS. This plays a vital role in the sustainable management of natural resources as well as provisioning services existing in the study area to benefit the community members, ensure human well-being, and secure the livelihood of the people residing within or around the Lake Hawassa Basin.