Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Research Articles

Exploring the relation between urban landscape service values and different infrastructures through crowdsourced data

ABSTRACT This research focuses on exploring and mapping Ankara’s urban points of interest and their values on different urban infrastructure types using geolocated data from Flickr. All publicly available data dated between 2005 and 2021 from Flickr were obtained through application programming interface and the infrastructure types were reclassified as green, blue, grey, and yellow, using the land use and land cover data based on Corine 2018. Spatial patterns for cultural service flow of landscape features and/or landscapes on different urban infrastructure types were mapped using Kernel density estimation in QGIS 3.21. The hotspots were assessed in terms of the cultural services they offered based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) framework, site visits, and observations. The findings showed that the city core mostly provided cultural heritage, identity, and recreational values. Results for the rural and peri-urban areas indicated that natural landscapes and protected areas stood out for their provision of cultural services, particularly for their recreational values. Our research identified user-intensive geographical clusters and hotspots that could benefit from interventions and enhancement for a more sustainable urban environment.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICE DELIVERY BETWEEN TWO COASTAL LAGOONS IN GHANA

The integration of ES into global policies represents a significant step towards harmonising sustainability and growth and unifying dialogues on biodiversity and sustainable development to benefit humanity. Consistent assessment of the availability of ES is vital to enable ongoing monitoring and support sustainable natural resource management and decision-making. This study was conducted to comparatively analyse the ecosystem service delivery between two coastal lagoons in Ghana. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) and Marine Ecosystem Services Assessment Tool (MESAT) scales were used in the study. The paper was based on the positivist paradigm and employed inferential statistics with SPSS v23 for data analysis. The results indicate no statistical differences between the Fosu and Muni lagoons in terms of their ecosystem service delivery; the null hypothesis is accepted for the two ecosystem service scales used and confirms that Fosu and the Muni Lagoons are similar in their deliveries of ecosystem services. The relationship between ES and human well-being is complex due to the interplay between social and ecological systems. To address coastal issues and develop management plans, the study proposes using MESAT and MEA for evaluation and solution provisioning. It further recommends expanding stakeholder and decision-maker involvement in lagoon management to promote sustainability and enhance stakeholder participation in decision-making.

Urban ecohydrology under socioeconomic scenarios: The protagonism of nature-based solutions in a changing future

Urban ecohydrology research has assessed how several drivers interfere with the basin's response. These interactions can be utilized in urban basins to enhance flood risk management. This paper aims to show how socioeconomic narratives influence rainfall-runoff transformation under changing conditions. For this, the study used the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) scenarios to measure the influence of different storylines on the land cover and, consequently, the basin's response, measured as the Percentage of Peak Flow Variations (PPFV) of the starting scenario. MA scenarios consider postures reactive and proactive to solve problems and different levels of the protagonist of nature. We used 13 urban ecohydrological variables that are sensitive to the socioeconomic narrative and include the use of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Then, we set up the qualitative scenarios to apply in two Brazilian urban basins (78.00 and 15.42 km2) to create quantitative scenarios. Finally, we used rainfall-monitored events in these basins and registered their responses as PPFV. The results indicated that socioeconomic narratives significantly impacted the urban basins. PPFV medians ranged, in the reactive scenarios, between 259 % and 70.5 %, and in the proactive scenario, between 54.5 % and -47.5 %. The scenario with NbS in their narrative shows significant decreases in the two basins. We concluded that socioeconomic narratives influence urban flood risk management. Societies with international cooperation focused on environmental solutions, such as using NbS, achieve better adaptation to challenging futures in the face of hydrological threats than reactive societies that do not prioritize the environment.

Measuring uncertainty in ecosystem service correlations as a function of sample size

The ecosystem service literature has drastically expanded since the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, yet the nature of how ecosystem services interact across space is still poorly understood. A key unresolved question is how efforts in sampling (a proxy for data availability) affect the calculation of the interactions or associations among ecosystem services. We contribute to answering this question by estimating a suite of ecosystem services and asking how the values of their interactions – in the form of spatial correlations – change as a function of the sampling rate of the landscape. Specifically, we estimate a set of seven ecosystem services for France (agricultural production potential, biodiversity, carbon storage, livestock grazing potential, net ecosystem productivity, pollination, and soil loss), applying four different measures for biodiversity, seven different methods for carbon storage, and three for pollination. We find that spatial correlations are fairly robust to the sampling rate, supporting the notion that moderate sampling rates across a heterogenous landscape are sufficient to obtain reliable estimates of the average correlation occurring across the landscape. In other words, despite heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of ecosystem services, at sufficient sample sizes we only need to randomly sample ten percent of the landscape to acquire an accurate measure of the correlations between all ecosystem services averaged across the entire landscape. Our results have implications for management, with applications for sampling extent and intensity and the identification of ecosystem service bundles.

Assessment and quantification of some short term ecosystem services in garden pea field

It is necessary to classify, quantify, and evaluate ecosystem services (ES) for understanding related ecosystem value. Garden pea (Pisums ativum L.), also called pea, herbaceous annual plant in the family leguminous, grown nearly worldwide for edible seeds. It contributes to the sustainability of the agricultural ecosystems. However, there is no information about the provision and consumption of ES in garden pea fields. The main objective of this study was to provide a first evidence base from ES provided by garden pea fields. Therefore, we developed a quantitative framework for assessing and quantifying ES of four different varieties of garden pea. For this purpose, a field experiment was carried out in the research farm of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (northeast of Iran), during 2019–2020. In this study, we developed a framework for quantifying of ES based on the modified Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA). The results showed that garden pea cultivation increased microbial respiration, soil organic matter, and carbon accumulation. Based on the results, varieties had significant effects on soil carbon accumulation. Peas Wolf and Pea Wolf cultivars with 1206.6 kg/ha carbon accumulation had the highest amount, and Reyna cultivar with −1876.9 kg/ha carbon accumulation had the lowest value. In this experiment, Peas Wolf and Utrillo cultivars provided more ES in terms of dry weight, the number of nodule, and root volume as nitrogen biofixation potential. In general, Peas Wolf compared to Utrillo cultivar was more successful in providing regulating services. However, Utrillo cultivar provided more provision services (14,520 kg/ha green yield, 23,680 kg/ha green biomass and 23,62% protein). In addition, different cultivars of garden pea had positive effects on the transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to the soil.

Social Perception of the Ecosystem Services of Prunus serotina subsp. capuli in the Andes of Ecuador

Ecosystem services (ES) refer to the benefits that people obtain from the ecosystem. In this sense, Prunus serotina is associated with the provision of ES; however, these services have been scarcely studied. The objective of this research was to determine the knowledge and perceptions of individuals in rural areas regarding the importance of ES, as well as the factors that influence them. Surveys were applied in three study areas (Chimborazo, Tungurahua, and Cotopaxi) of the central Andes of Ecuador that detailed the sociodemographic and perception characteristics of ES based on the predefined ES of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA). In the assessment, the interview data were analyzed to obtain the relationships between the variables using Spearman’s correlation in the R-studio software. The results showed that individuals’ level of education, age, and gender play an important role in variations in peoples’ knowledge of ES. A total of 21 ES were identified; the most representative services, according to their ecosystem category, were support (shelter for birds and insects and soil formation), provisioning (food, insecticide, wood, and firewood), regulation (improvement in the quality of air and climate regulation), and culture (scenic beauty and the maintenance of traditions). This analysis of the social perception of ES works as a strategy for the maintenance of Prunus serotina in the orchards and plots of families in the central Andes of Ecuador. The identification of ES through the social perception of their existence facilitates an understanding of the importance of ES in rural localities, which lays the foundation for strategies to be developed in the future for their conservation.

RivEr/Generation_LAB-Linking Resilience with Inclusiveness in the Urban-Built Environment of Rome

The impact of metropolization processes and climate change effects on natural and anthropic environments, together with energy waste, the excessive consumption of agricultural and natural soils and their progressive waterproofing and a reduction in vegetation cover, highlights the need for sustainable management of existing resources, in terms of equitable and ethical development, towards sustainable and inclusive communities able to adapt to the negative effects of emergency phenomena. This contribution presents the results of the activities conducted in the RivEr/Generation_LAB, a project organized by three CIVIS members (Sapienza University of Rome, Universitè libre de Bruxelles, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid) as a part of the CIVIS Project “RivEr/Generation_LAB. Linking resilience with inclusiveness in the urban built environment of Rome, Brussels, and Madrid”, financed by the Hub4 Cities, Territories & Mobilities’ Call for proposals 2021. The project proposes a methodology of intervention in the Flaminio district, in particular in the Olympic Village and its relationship with the Tiber River, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the New European Bauhaus, to establish new relationships between cities and the natural environment, favoring sustainable and inclusive public spaces.

Wetland Park Planning and Management Based on the Valuation of Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of the Tieling Lotus Lake National Wetland Park (LLNWP), China.

The valuation of wetland ecosystem services and the construction of environmental landscapes are generally recognized as contributing to the sustainable development of human wellbeing. The valuation of ecosystem services plays an important role in planning for the recovery of degraded wetlands and in urban wetland park management; however, the role of the valuation of ecosystem services is always ignored. To bring more intuitive awareness to the importance of the ecological functions of wetlands and to rationally plan wetland parks, the Lotus Lake National Wetland Park (LLNWP), an urban wetland park in Northeast China, was selected as the study area. We referred to the millennium ecosystem assessment (MA) method and calculated the valuation of this park using the market value, benefit transfer, shadow engineering, carbon tax, and travel cost. ArcGIS was used for remote sensing interpretation. The research results were as follows. LLNWP was classified under seven types of land-use. The functions of the ecosystem services included provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services, and their total value in LLNWP was 11.68×108 CNY. Regarding the per-unit area value of the ecological service functions of different land types, it was found that forest swamp > herbaceous swamp > artificial wetland > permanent river > floodplain wetland. Combined with the characteristics of the functions of its ecosystem's services, LLNWP was divided into ecological and socio-cultural functions. Then, according to the main service functions of the different land types, we propose that the space in LLNWP can be reused, and proposal planning and management suggestions can be made with the aim of preserving the basic functions.

Ecosystem Services Provided by Seaweeds

The ecosystem services can be divided using two major classification systems, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) and the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). In the MEA system, the ecosystem services are divided into four major service clusters: supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural. On the other hand, the CICES system regards the “MEA supporting services” as organism natural function (and not an ecosystem service). Thus, this function is the basis for all the three CICES ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, and cultural) provided by one organism. These ecosystem services can be analyzed for the type of habitat, fauna or flora. Seaweeds, or marine macroalgae, are one of the key organisms in estuarine and seawater habitats ecosystems, which currently is of extreme importance due to the climate changes and the blue–green economy. Seaweeds and humankind have been interlinked from the beginning, mainly as a food source, fibers, biochemicals, natural medicine, ornamental resources, art inspiration, and esthetic values in several coastal communities. Moreover, currently they are being studied as green carbon, carbon sequestration, and as a possible source for the biomedical and pharmaceutical areas. This review is a concise review of all ecological services provided by seaweeds and their impact in the human life and maintenance of the ecosystem status quo. The future of seaweeds use is also approached, regarding the promotion of seaweed ecological services and its dangers in the future.

Towards a standardized protocol to assess natural capital and ecosystem services in solar parks

AbstractNatural capital and ecosystem services have emerged as fundamental concepts of ecosystem management strategies in the past two decades, particularly within major international land assessment frameworks, including the UN's Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services' Global Assessment Report.Despite the recent development of several analytical methods and models to quantify changes in natural capital and ecosystem services resulting from land use change, incorporating them into the land planning process can be challenging from a practical point of view without guidance on standard methods.In an attempt to decarbonize energy supply systems to meet internationally agreed targets on climate change, solar energy production, in the form of ground‐mounted solar parks, is emerging as one of the dominant forms of temporary land use for renewable energies globally.We propose 19 directly measurable indicators associated with 16 ecosystem services within three major stocks of natural capital (biodiversity, soil and water) that are most likely to be impacted by the development of solar parks. Indicators are supported by well‐established methods that have been widely used in pure and applied land use research within terrestrial ecosystems. Moreover, they can be implemented flexibly according to interest or land management objectives.Whilst not intended as a precise recipe for how to assess the effects of solar park development on hosting ecosystems, the protocol will guide the solar energy industry and all actors involved, be they researchers, practitioners, ecological consultancies or statutory bodies, to implement a standardized approach to evaluate temporal and spatial changes in natural capital and ecosystem services resulting from solar park development and operation, with the ultimate aim of generating comparable and reproducible data on ecosystem impact assessment across the solar energy sector.

Value Pluralism in Practice: Integrating IPBES to Refine Ecosystem Services Assessments in South Africa

As global biodiversity loss continues to increase, effective valuation of natural capital is a prerequisite for effective environmental planning decisions. The introduction of Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) in 2005 brought the concept of ecosystem services into the limelight. After that, The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) mirrors the MA's original use of the term ecosystem services and goes further by openly embracing concepts from multiple worldviews on human-nature relationships and knowledge systems. The emergence of the latter promises to provide new and improved suggestions for existing assessment methods in many countries around the world. One such example is Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) in South Africa. By summarizing the current assessment methodology of the NCA in South Africa, this paper summarizes the current limitations of the NCA and suggests that the integration of the IPBES method into the NCA can effectively solve the above problems. The paper also analyses the first national form of IPBES organization, the Brazilian BPBES, to illustrate the need to tailor IPBES selectively to the specific problems of the country to achieve the best results. This paper is an attempt to optimize the methodology of the South African national-level ecosystem services assessment and an exploration of the application of IPBES, a conceptual framework linking nature and people.

ГЛОБАЛЬНЫЕ СИСТЕМЫ ЭКОЛОГО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОГО УЧЕТА

Throughout history, people have treated natural resources as infinite and free, which has led to their overexploitation and degradation of ecosystems. At present, society and industry are facing challenges caused by the degradation of ecosystems and the reduction of ecosystem service flows. With ecosystem accounting, we now have the ability to incorporate the value of biodiversity into policy and decision-making. Clear consideration of ecosystem contributions as to current ecosystems Market production, as well as the broader benefits accruing to individuals and society, contributes to a broader understanding of the role of ecosystems and the impacts that can arise when the scale and condition of ecosystems change. The purpose of this article is to provide stakeholders with a brief overview of existing classification systems and assessment frameworks for ecosystem accounting. To do this, we analyses four different ecosystem classification systems, including the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services, and the Intergovernmental Scientific Classification. - Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. This review will help to determine the most appropriate models for assessing ecosystem services and natural capital for use in Russia.

农业文化遗产生态系统服务的复合增益——以浙江瑞安滨海塘河台田系统为例

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 农业文化遗产生态系统服务的复合增益——以浙江瑞安滨海塘河台田系统为例 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202108252374 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金面上项目（42171279）；国家自然科学基金中德合作交流项目（M-0342） Extra services of agricultural heritage systems ecosystem services: A case study on Costal Bench Terrace System in Ruian, Zhejing Province Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 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:农业文化遗产是农村与其所处环境长期协同进化和动态适应下所形成的独特的土地利用系统和农业景观，具备丰富的景观要素。景观要素的耦合会对景观整体的生态系统服务供应产生影响。研究构建了多景观要素的"生态系统服务复合增益"理论框架，并以浙江瑞安滨海塘河台田系统为例，将其景观要素划分为农田生态系统和水域生态系统，并分别评估其景观要素生态系统服务价值、景观整体生态系统服务价值和生态系统服务复合增益价值。研究结果显示：（1）2019年浙江瑞安滨海塘河台田系统生态系统服务总价值为187.72亿元，文化服务价值最高，占总价值的91.8%；（2）农田的生态系统服务价值为6.03亿元，占总价值的3.2%，水域的生态系统服务价值为8.15亿元，占总价值的4.3%；（3）生态系统服务复合增益价值为173.54亿元，占总价值的92.5%。研究表明，农田和水域两种景观要素的耦合能提高浙江瑞安滨海塘河台田系统中食物供应、气体调节、盐碱地改良、休息游憩四种生态系统服务价值，致使其产生生态系统服务复合增益。 Abstract:Agricultural heritage systems is a unique land use system and agricultural landscape formed under the long-term co-evolution and dynamic adaptation of the countryside and its environment, which is rich in landscape elements. The coupling of landscape elements will have impact on the supply of ecosystem services in the whole landscape. Agricultural heritage systems under human long-term cultivation has gradually formed a special landscape pattern. However, the current research on the valuation of agricultural heritage systems ecosystem services is limited to regard it as a single ecosystem, ignoring the impact of the interaction between patches on the supply of ecosystem services, such as the movement of heat, water and nutrients among patches. This research constructed a theoretical framework of "Extra services" and defined "Extra services". We took Costal Bench Terrace System in Ruian, Zhejing Province as the research object and divided its landscape elements into farmland ecosystem and aquatic ecosystem. Referring to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Classification System, this research used the method of ecological economics to evaluate the ecosystem services value of landscape elements, the ecosystem services value of whole landscape, and the Extra services value, respectively. The results show that:(1) the total value of ecosystem services in the Costal Bench Terrace Ecosystem was 18.772 billion yuan in 2019, and the value of cultural services was the highest, accounting for 91.8% of the total value; (2) The ecosystem service value of farmland ecosystem was 0.603 billion yuan, accounting for 3.2% of the total, while the ecosystem service value of aquatic ecosystem was 0.815 billion yuan, accounting for 4.3% of the total; (3) The Extra services value was 17.354 billion yuan, accounting for 92.5% of the total. The coupling of farmland ecosystem and aquatic ecosystem leads to the enhancement of the supply of four type of ecosystem services in raised-field agricultural system, which are food production, gas regulation, saline-alkali soil reclamation, and leisure services. This ultimately leads to the generation of Extra services. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Past and Future Changes of Land Use/Land Cover and the Potential Impact on Ecosystem Services Value of Damietta Governorate, Egypt

This investigation aims to assess the changes of Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) and its impact on ecosystem services value in Damietta Governorate, Egypt. To fulfill this aim, Landsat data of TM5 in 2001, ETM in 2011 and OLI in 2021 were used. The Maximum Likelihood Classifier was employed to track the changes in LULC of the study area. Cellular automata (CA) and Markov model adopted from IDRISI software were used for accurate prediction of the LULC in 2031. The VALIDATE model in TerrSet was used to compare the predicted 2031 LULC with actual 2021 LULC to assess the accuracy of the model. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was utilized to assess the value per unit area of land types. The results indicated that there was a noticeable change in different land cover classes during the duration 2001–2021. Results showed that there are decreases in the cultivated area and the bare area, meanwhile the urban area was increased. The cultivated area was remarkably decreased recording 548.2 km2 (62.15%) at 2001, 548.2 km2 (55.79%) at 2011 and 468.96 km2 (53.16%) at 2021 of the total study area. However, the percentage of urban area increased; reporting 65.69 km2 (7.45%), 124.57 km2 (14.12%), and 176.67 km2 (20.03%) at 2001, 2011, and 2021, respectively. LULC analyses in 2031 showed an increase in the urban area by 2.8% and a decrease in the cultivated area by 7.2%. The kappa index values are greater than 0.80, which shows a strong agreement between simulated and predicted LULC maps. The comprehensive index of Damietta Governorate ranges from 100 to 400. The ES that experienced positive ESV changes during the study period gives strength indicator for achieving the sustainable development of Damietta Governorate. To prevent further ecosystem degradation and to ensure the best possible delivery of ES, it is necessary to reduce the current drivers of LULC changes within the buildup in agricultural land. The study helps the local authorities to better understand the land use system and to develop an improved land use management strategies that manage the urban expansion and guarantee the ecological conservation.

Global insect decline is the result of wilful political failure: Abattle plan for entomology.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment assessed ecosystem change, human wellbeing and scientific evidence for sustainable use of biological systems. Despite intergovernmental acknowledgement of the problem, global ecological decline has continued, including declines in insect biodiversity, which has received much media attention in recent years. Several roadmaps to averting biological declines have failed due to various economic and political factors, and so biodiversity loss continues, driven by several interacting human pressures. Humans are innately linked with nature but tend to take it for granted. The benefits we gain from the insect world are broad, yet aversion or phobias of invertebrates are common, and stand firmly in the path of their successful conservation. Providing an integrated synthesis for policy teams, conservation NGOs, academic researchers and those interested in public engagement, this article considers: (1) The lack of progress to preserve and protect insects. (2) Examples relating to insect decline and contributions insects make to people worldwide, and consequently what we stand to lose. (3) How to engage the public, governmental organizations and researchers through “insect contributions to people” to better address insect declines. International political will has consistently acknowledged the existence of biodiversity decline, but apart from a few narrow cases of charismatic megafauna, little meaningful change has been achieved. Public values are reflected in political willpower, the progress being made across the world, changing views on insects in the public should initiate a much‐needed political sea‐change. Taking both existing activity and required future actions, we outline an entomologist's “battle plan” to enormously expand our efforts and become the champions of insect conservation that the natural world needs.

A literary analogy of the contributions of “Cultural Services” to the ecosystem services provided by the Sacred Groves

Background: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment categorizes the ecosystem services into four types i.e. Supporting, Provisioning, Regulatory and Cultural ecosystem services. The MA defines cultural services in terms of the “nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems,” and specifically lists “cultural diversity, spiritual and religious values, knowledge systems, educational values, inspiration, aesthetic values, social relations, sense of place, cultural heritage values, recreation and ecotourism”. Objectives: To review literature that discusses the contribution of cultural values towards a more holistic valuation of ecosystem services. Methods: The available literature from 1976 to 2022 without language restriction has been covered with the help of secondary data analysis. Secondary information related to sacred groves in general and from regions of India has been collected from various sources including published research articles, technical reports, books and supporting documents from different stakeholders like research organization, NGOs, Forest Department, other Govt. Departments, etc in the national domain. Results: The critical review of the available information led to the gap analysis that no study on the region-wise structure and model of the sacred groves has been done in Indian origin. Conservation of various natural forests existing as sacred groves have been an imperative concept of community based conservation since the time immemorial. Conclusion: Cultural heritage is usually defined as the legacy of biophysical features, physical artifacts, and intangible attributes of a group that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present, and bestowed for the benefit of future generations.

Ecosystem Services of Mangroves: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Contemporary Scientific Literature

The paper narrates a systematic literature review on ‘’mangrove ecosystem services’’ to identify their typology, distribution, and utilization within the contemporary scientific literature. We performed a systematic review of 76 research articles derived from the Scopus database, and the dataset was scrutinized and classified against the four major categories of ecosystem services, namely provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services, as per the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). We attempted to determine the existing state of the interconnectedness of mangrove ecosystem services by mapping the potential synergies and trade-offs. Further, an attempt was made to understand the critical linkages between mangrove ecosystem services and their contribution to the localization/achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The results suggest disproportionate distribution of scientific literature, where nearly 56 of the studies were concentrated in Asia. The recognition of regulating the services of mangroves, particularly in carbon storage and disaster risk reduction, outnumbered the other types of ecosystem services. In particular, studies related to mangroves’ cultural ecosystem services remain underrepresented. The results show a strong correlation in terms of synergies between the coastal protection ecosystem services and the high carbon sequestration ability of mangroves; and the trade-off between facilitating water transport services and the provision of fresh water. Of the 17 SDGs, three SDGs, namely, SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 14 and 15 (life below water and life on land) showed close interrelationships with the existing database. As such, the results are beneficial for coastal planners to better integrate and mainstream mangrove ecosystem services into coastal and regional planning, by maximizing synergies, encouraging the involvement of coastal communities as well as elaborating ameliorative adaptive measures.

Fisheries as ecosystem services: A case study of the Cauvery river basin, India

Habitat alterations and fragmentation caused by anthropogenic modifications of the riverine landscape have affected fish biodiversity by reducing the number of fish species. Fish are a major element of the aquatic environment, and they play an important role in maintaining ecosystem resilience. However, an incomplete understanding of links between river ecosystem functions and processes with fisheries is one of the major reasons for the alarming rate of decline of fish species. Recognizing the ecosystem services generated by fish populations is essential and is one step toward comprehensive, ecosystem-based management of riverine fisheries. Therefore, this paper is motivated by the need to explore the dimensions of fisheries as an ecosystem service. The data was collected from primary field observations and checklist-based key informant interviews at the seventeen fishing sites selected across an 800 km river stretch of the river. In addition, two focused group discussions with fishers at two sampling sites were held to provide first-hand knowledge of ecosystem services generated by fisheries. At first, the role of fisheries in generating ecosystem services for riverine ecosystem functioning and human demands is outlined using the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment approach. Then, the findings of a survey carried out from the headwaters to the delta of the Cauvery river are presented detailing the fisheries provisioning services, livelihoods, and other ecosystem services. The findings showed that the provisioning and cultural services are highly represented among the four categories of ecosystem services identified by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. However, in the literature reviewed, supporting, and regulating services are not well-represented. Based on these findings, the applicability of the ecosystem service concept can be elaborated to inform researchers and policymakers to enhance conservation efforts for fisheries.

Meta-analysis of ecosystem services associated with oyster restoration.

Restoration of foundation species promises to reverse environmental degradation and return lost ecosystem services, but a lack of standardized evaluation across projects limits understanding of recovery, especially in marine systems. Oyster reefs are restored to reverse massive global declines and reclaim valuable ecosystem services, but the success of these projects has not been systematically and comprehensively quantified. We synthesized data on ecosystem services associated with oyster restoration from 245 pairs of restored and degraded reefs and 136 pairs of restored and reference reefs across 3500km of U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coastlines. On average, restoration was associated with a 21-fold increase in oyster production (mean log response ratio=3.08 [95% confidence interval: 2.58-3.58]), 34-97% enhancement of habitat provisioning (mean community abundance=0.51 [0.41-0.61], mean richness=0.29 [0.19-0.39], and mean biomass=0.69 [0.39-0.99]), 54% more nitrogen removal (mean=0.43 [0.13-0.73]), and 89-95% greater sediment nutrients (mean=0.67 [0.27-1.07]) and organic matter (mean=0.64 [0.44-0.84]) relative to degraded habitats. Moreover, restored reefs matched reference reefs for these ecosystem services. Our results support the continued and expanded use of oyster restoration to enhance ecosystem services of degraded coastal systems and match many functions provided by reference reefs.

Influential paths of ecosystem services on human well-being in the context of the sustainable development goals

Ecosystem services (ESs) and their demands from people are closely related to human well-being (HWB). Understanding of the influential paths of ecosystem services on human well-being is significant to sustainable landscape management. This study explored the supply of ecosystem services and the ecosystem service supply-demand relationships (i.e. the ecological supply-demand ratio, ESDR) in the Central and Western Inner Mongolia, as well as HWB by combining the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) and the sustainable development goals of the United Nations (SDGs). A structural equation model (SEM) was built to quantify the influential paths of the ESs on the HWB. The results indicated that: (1) The HWB was improved during 2000–2018. (2) The supporting services promoted the provisioning services and the regulating services directly. (3) The provisioning services and the regulating services had positive direct influences on the HWB, and also affected the HWB through the ESDR indirectly. The combination of the supporting services and the ESDR presented a panorama of the influential paths of ecosystem services on the HWB and promoted the understanding of the driving mechanisms. Assessments on the ESs, the HWB in the context of SDGs, and their influential paths were instructive for decision-making towards sustainable landscape management.