Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Research Articles

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.

Integrated approach of ecosystem services for mine reclamation in a clustered mining semi-urban region of South India

Ecosystem service gets more attention among the environmental policy-makers in large-scale industries, especially in the mining industry. The service may direct or indirect benefit to people in various ways. The millennium ecosystem assessment typology is used to appraise the impact on ecosystems, and human well-being, and the ecosystem services are divided into four types as provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. We selected Ariyalur district of South India as a study area because of the clustered mining region. This study helps to trace the relationship between mining and ecosystem function. Though mining industry serves the provisioning of raw materials, the mining operations impose the negative impacts on environment of that region. The focus of the present study is to estimate the values of ecosystem service of Ariyalur district using benefit transfer method with reference to LULC change over the past 20 years from 2000 to 2020. To attain the proposed framework, the spatial distribution of geographic features of the study area was developed using geospatial tools. The study estimated the value of INR 83.29 billion of ecosystem services contributes to humans directly or indirectly in the year of 2020. In addition to this, the study determined the correlation function between ecosystem service values and LULC changes. The study suggested a measure to enhance the existing ecosystem services of the region in approach to land suitability analysis for mining site reclamation plan using entropy weight method.

The limits of livelihood diversification and sustainable household well-being, evidence from China

Diversification of household livelihood activities has become an important pillar of rural development strategies for improving living standards and household well-being (HWB). Yet diversification's relationship with rural development has not been assessed in working landscapes for households that span a range of HWB levels, which has important implications for sustainable rural transitions and resource use. This paper examines the role of livelihood diversification on HWB. We use a novel dataset from northeast China to develop a quantitative index that reflects sustainable livelihoods derived from principles laid out in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, which we refer to as an index of sustainable household well-being (SHWB). We assess the role of diversification against other factors that relate to SHWB, and examine non-linearities in these relationships though quantile regression methods. While past work has shown how diversification can improve SHWB outcomes for low-resource communities, here we test the limits of diversification as a household poverty reduction strategy. Our analysis shows that livelihood diversification is associated with improvements in SHWB for households with low and medium levels of wellbeing (<50th percentile in our sample). At higher levels of SHWB, education and income have much greater influence. Our results are robust to alternate measures of well-being and diversification metrics, and have implications for sustainable livelihood policy and improving household well-being. Supporting and encouraging livelihood diversification should play a significant role in poverty reduction strategies for the poorest of households, but with increased levels of market integration and regional development, specialization may be appropriate.

토픽모델링을 활용한 도시림의 문화서비스 수요 특성 분석†

The purpose of this study is to analyze the demand for cultural ecosystem services in urban forests based on user perception and experience value by using Naver blog posts and LDA topic modeling. Bukhansan National Park was used to analyze and review the feasibility of spatial assessments. Based on the results of topic modeling from blog posts, a review process was conducted considering the relevance of Bukhansan National Park’s cultural services and its suitability as a spatial assessment case, and finally, an index for the spatial assessment of urban forest’s cultural service was derived. Specifically, 21 topics derived through topic analysis were interpreted, and 13 topics related to cultural ecosystem services were derived based on the MA(Millennium Ecosystem Assessment)’s classification system for ecosystem services. 72.7% of all documents reviewed had data deemed useful for this study. The contents of the topic fell into one of the seven types of cultural services related to "mountainous recreation activities" (23.7%), "indirect use value linked to tourism and convenience facilities" (12.4%), "inspirational activities" (11.2%), "seasonal recreation activities" (6.2%), "natural appreciation and static recreation activities" (3.7%). Next, for the 13 cultural service topics derived from data gathered about Bukhansan National Park, the possibility of spatial assessment of the characteristics of cultural ecosystem services provided by urban forests was reviewed, and a total of 8 cultural service indicators were derived. The MA’s cultural service classification system for ecosystem services, which was widely used in previous studies, has limitations in that it does not reflect the actual user demand of urban forests, but it is meaningful in that it categorizes cultural service indicators suitable for domestic circumstances. In addition, the study is significant as it presented a methodology to interpret and derive the demand for cultural services using a large amount of user awareness and experience data.

A framework tool for conceptualizing integrated water resources for sustainable water management

AbstractAs the pressures on water resources are ever increasing, the organization of complex disparate data and scientific information to inform the actions to protect and enhance the resilience of freshwater resources is key for sustainable development and implementation of integrated water resource management (IWRM). Methodologies supporting IWRM implementation have largely focused on water management and governance, with less attention to evaluation methods of ecologic, economic, and social conditions. To assist in assessing water resource sustainability, the Integrated Hydro‐Environment Assessment Tool (IHEAT) has been developed to create a framework for different disciplines and interests to engage in structured dialogue. The IHEAT builds on the considerable body of knowledge developed around IWRM and seeks to place this information into a single framework that facilitates the cogeneration of knowledge between managers, stakeholders, and the communities affected by management decisions with the understanding that there is a need to merge expert analysis with traditional knowledge and the lived experience of communities. IHEAT merges the driver‐pressure‐state‐impact‐response (DPSIR) framework, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment's ecosystem services and human well‐being (HWB) framework, sustainability criteria for water resource systems, and water resources indexes and sets of indicators to better understand spatiotemporal interactions between hydrologic, socioeconomic, and ecologic systems and evaluate impacts of disturbances on ecological goods and services and HWB. IHEAT consists of a Conceptual Template (IHEAT‐CT) which provides a systematic framework for assessing basin conditions and guiding indicator selection as well as an Assessment Interface (IHEAT‐AI) for organizing, processing, and assessing analytical results. The IHEAT‐CT, presented herein, is a rapid screening tool that connects water use directly, or through ecosystem goods and services (EGS), to constituents of HWB. Disturbance Templates for eight pressure types, such as land‐use change, climate change, and population growth, are provided to guide practitioners regarding potential changes to landscape elements in the hydrological cycle, impacts on EGS, and societal implications on HWB. The basin screening results in a summary report card illuminating key freshwater ecosystems, the EGS they provide, and potential responses to drivers and pressures acting on the hydrologic system. This screening provides a common understanding by technical and nontechnical parties and provides the foundation for more complex conceptual models should they be required. An indicator list guides the selection of hydrologic, ecologic, economic, and social analytical methods to support IWRM technical input.

On the investigation of an economic value for forest ecosystem services in the past 30 years: Lessons learnt and future insights from a North–South perspective

Since the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the research of ecosystem services valuation has seen an exponential growth with a consequent development, improvement, and spread of different qualitative and quantitative methods. The interest is due to the benefits that ecosystem services provide for human wellbeing. A large part of ecosystem services is provided by the so-called forest ecosystem services (FES) in both protected and non-protected areas. The aim of the present study is to investigate key variables driving the FES value at the global level. These include, other than socio-economic information, the ecosystem services' quality condition and the location of the study. The research uses a meta-regression of 478 observations from 57 studies in the time span 1992–2021 retrieved from the online Ecosystem Service Valuation Database (ESVD). The main results show that both the ES quality condition and spatial aspect are relevant factors in determining the estimated value of FES, suggesting the existence of a difference in the forest value from a North-South perspective. The investigation of an economic assessment of FES is advised as a key research trend in the immediate future. This allows to close the gap between the global North and South and favors the implementation of adequate socio-economic and environmental governance for an efficient forest management.

An Exploration of the Contribution of Embodied, Situated Research Strategies to Cultural Ecosystem Services and Landscape Assessment Frameworks: An Environmental Empathy Case Study

Since the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2005, interest has increased in cultural ecosystem services (CESs) research to understand the complexity of the non-material benefits that people obtain from ecosystems. The intangible and interactive characteristics of CESs present many challenges regarding how to approach, quantify and even define CESs. In this paper, we suggest looking at CESs through the lens of embodied and situated cognition theories. We advocate that such an approach should be applied to the development stage of CES research projects, as the embodied and situated experience of the site aids the development of research questions and future interventions. We described a case study—namely, the Environmental Empathy Research Challenge, which took place during the ColLaboratoire 2020 Research Residency in the Philippines. This case shows how interactive, embodied and situated workshops, such as Embodied Empathy and Walking Maps, contributed to developing a research proposal and a novel research framework, ecological embodied cognition (EEC). EEC focuses on the concept of environmental empathy to redefine the human-environment relationship. Further, based on an example of a participatory research activity, Sensing-Playing-Moving, we examined how interventions founded upon EEC principles enhance environmental empathy.

Spatial sampling design optimization of monitoring network for terrestrial ecosystem in China

The rapid socioeconomic development leads to the deterioration of ecological environment. Ecosystem assessment has been conducted worldwide, e.g. the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment to assess consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being. To enhance ecosystem assessment in China, this study proposes the design of a monitoring network for the terrestrial ecosystem consisting of core stations and localized points. With focus on ecosystem services of NPP, water conservation, soil retention and sandstorm prevention, core stations of the monitoring network for observing all four services are first selected by assessing and improving spatial representativeness in ecoregions of forest, grassland and desert ecosystems. Then a spatial sampling method is applied to choose localized points for observing each specific service. Eventually expert's knowledge is used to make final decisions of added stations and points by utilizing existing networks and considering factors such as topography, spatial coverage. Combining both aforementioned approaches and experts knowledge, 60 core stations and 176 localized points are finally determined for the monitoring network. For the forest ecosystem, 39 core stations are decided with 31 selected from existing networks and eight newly added core stations improve spatial representativeness by 51.58 %, 68.11 % and 75.55 % in Temperate grasslands, Temperate desert and Alpine vegetation in Tibet Plateau respectively. For the grassland and desert ecosystem, 21 core stations are chosen with 18 from existing networks and three newly added core stations improve the representativeness by 21.60 % and 44.88 % in Tibet alpine grassland and Grassland in southern mountain areas respectively. Priorities in the implementation phase should be given to instruments installation for monitoring all four services in core stations from existing networks and setting up new stations in regions where representativeness are significantly improved.

Guiding sustainable urban development via a multi-level ecological framework integrating natural and social indicators

Establishing a sustainable landscape pattern to cope with worsening ecological problems is an internationally recognized practice. However, previous studies have not considered the joint supply equilibrium of ecosystem services (ESs) and coupling with social systems. In this study, we propose an ecological security pattern framework composed of multi-level ecological elements, based on ESs, human impacts, and improved connectivity. The ordered weighted averaging decision model was used to analyze the four types of ESs specified by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and extract core patches. Based on potential corridors extracted by the minimum cumulative resistance model, ecological corridors were further classified by improved connectivity analysis coupled with the human modification index. The approach was tested using data from Dalian, Liaoning Province, China. The results show that the most service capabilities declined to varying degrees over the past 10 years. Forests, arable land, and grasslands had relatively high levels of comprehensive ecological services. Regulating services showed a significant decline in three or more land types. The principle of landscape ecology promotes the establishment of a buffer zone. In Dalian, the areas of the ecological core patch and buffer zone were 2,167.88 and 5,377.38 km2, respectively. The three levels of potential ecological corridors totaled 1079.78 km. The ecological elements and ESs assessment results obtained using the proposed method provide spatial guidance for ecological management, thereby ensuring the sustainable development of large cities.

The integration of nature values and services in the nature-based solution assessment framework of constructed wetlands for carbon-water nexus in carbon sequestration and water security.

As the climate change impacts are expected to become increasingly disruptive, affecting water security, environmental health and ecosystem, constructed wetlands receive attention for their functions in delivering various life-sustaining services to human and environmental systems. In this article, a systematic review was conducted through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standard to identify the current research on constructed wetlands' nature values and services from 2011 to 2020 of two databases, namely Scopus and Web of Science. The criteria of assessment focus on holistic deliberation of subject matters, namely carbon sequestration and water security as regulating and provisioning services, as well as nature values of constructed wetlands, namely instrumental and intrinsic values. As a result, 38 articles were selected and comprehensively examined. As the lack of an interdisciplinary approach makes data and information integration difficult, this study derived an integrated classification of constructed wetlands' services and mapped with its nature values, guided by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment framework. Besides, mechanisms and factors affecting carbon sequestration and water security were also discussed. The carbon-water nexus was then conceptualised as interlinkages between engineered and natural physicochemical processes at the interface between carbon and water cycles. To fill the gaps, based on the carbon-water nexus concept, a new framework was synthesised at the end of the deliberation for constructed wetlands in regulating local climate through carbon sequestration and ensuring water security through water treatment and purification as well as influencing socio-cultural values, which needs an integrated approach that is the novelty of this work. The framework integrates the dichotomy of the instrumental-intrinsic nature values of constructed wetlands to evaluate the importance and benefit of the carbon-water nexus. The framework that reveals the vitality of nature values provided by constructed wetlands can help improve the decision-making to prioritise ecosystem services and conservation efforts, particularly in the sustainable management of constructed wetlands.

Ecosystem services provided by dry river socio-ecological systems and their drivers of change

AbstractDry rivers are a type of non-perennial river characterized by extreme dry conditions and dominance of terrestrial habitats. They are present in all continents, being especially abundant in arid and semiarid regions. Recent studies have shown their capacity to provide ecosystem services, although they are often undervalued and altered. This study is a literature review on the ecosystem services provided by dry rivers to human well-being. We apply the conceptual framework for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. First, we describe and exemplify the services provided by the natural system and its biodiversity. Second, we present the contributions of the local social system to service provision through co-production processes. Finally, the main drivers of ecosystem change that alter service provision are listed and discussed. We found that dry rivers and their biodiversity contribute to local human well-being. The ecological knowledge and culture of local human communities acquired over generations contribute to service provision maintaining the socio-ecological system’s sustainability and its resilience to disturbances. Among drivers of change, those of a social-cultural (e.g., sedentarization) and economic (e.g., globalization) nature affect dry rivers’ capacity to provide ecosystem services the most. Reconciling people and dry rivers requires a great deal of research and education.

Assessing Ecosystem Services of Rice–Fish Co-Culture and Rice Monoculture in Thailand

Increasing production costs for rice monoculture and concerns about farming households’ food security have motivated farmers to adopt integrated rice–fish farming. To date, there has been little research that comparatively assesses the ecosystem services (ESVs) of both rice–fish co-culture and the rice monoculture system in Thailand. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the ESV values of these systems based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. A total of 19 rice–fish co-culture farms were investigated, covering three regions of Thailand (northern, northeastern, and central regions) and consisting of 13 sub-districts, 13 districts, and 11 provinces. For a fair comparison, 19 conventional rice farms were selected as comparison sites. Rice–fish co-culture had a higher net ESV value of 48,450,968.4 THB ha−1 year−1 than rice monoculture with a net ESV value of 42,422,598.5 THB ha−1 year−1. Rice–fish co-culture generated average economic values 25.40% higher than in rice monoculture farming. The most positive change in ESV was found in the regulation of temperature and humidity, with 3,160,862.9 THB ha−1 year−1. Moreover, agrotourism can generate revenue and increase the ESV in rice–fish co-culture. Our findings showed that rice–fish co-culture gives more economic and ecological benefits compared to the rice monoculture system. Further studies are recommended to explore and analyze the potential advantages of the rice–fish system in more detail.

Relationship between ecosystem services and rural residential well-being in the Xin’an river Basin, China

The River Basin Ecological Compensation Policy, which is an important starting point for the realization of ecological civilization, has changed the perceptions of the local residents regarding ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB). Based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment framework, we performed a face-to-face questionnaire-based survey among 807 randomly selected rural residents in the Xin’an River Basin (XARB). Resident cognitive status was evaluated upstream and downstream of the XARB according to ES and individual HWB; subsequently, the relationships within and among ES and HWB were discussed. Results showed that upstream residents attached more importance to air purity, education, and biodiversity, whereas downstream residents were more focused on food, clean water, climate, and flood regulation. Overall, upstream and downstream residents focused on provisioning and regulating ES, respectively. Regarding HWB, upstream residents were highly satisfied with family harmony, culture, and entertainment, whereas downstream residents preferred improved air and drinking water quality. There were significant differences regarding the internal correlations between ES and HWB variables both upstream and downstream, and the selected leading indicators were inconsistent. Complex trade-off and synergistic relationships between HWB and ES variables were also evident, primarily reflected through the significant negative correlation between basic material and provisioning ES upstream, and the significant positive correlation between health and regulating ES downstream. These results should help implementing ecological compensation policies, people-oriented developmental concepts within the decision-making process, and ultimately a sustainable economic and social development of the XARB.

The Trade-Offs/Synergies and Their Spatial-Temporal Characteristics between Ecosystem Services and Human Well-Being Linked to Land-Use Change in the Capital Region of China

With the rise of the strategy of Coordinated Development for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, it is necessary to evaluate the trade-offs/synergies of the survival environment and human well-being in Hebei, the capital region of China. However, existing methods cannot analyze and express trade-offs/synergies of two or more variables simultaneously. Therefore, this paper proposes a new framework to express the trade-offs/synergies among land-use intensity, ecosystem services, and human well-being. In this paper, we first identified the land-use intensity change and land-use transformation and evaluated ecosystem services and human well-being in Hebei from 2000–2015 under the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment framework. Then, the trade-offs/synergies of the three indicators were determined by GIS-based methods and MATLAB. The results show that land-use intensity and human well-being mainly present a synergistic relationship, while ecosystem services and land-use intensity mainly present a trade-off relationship, and ecosystem services and human well-being also present a trade-off relationship in Hebei during 2000–2015. In addition, some regional solutions to achieve sustainable development were proposed: region 1 needs to adjust land-use structure, region 2 needs to protect the ecological environment to improve the supply of ecosystem services, and region 3 needs to commit to improving the regional comprehensive human well-being. This study not only proposes a new framework for analyzing trade-offs/synergies of land use intensity, ecosystem services, and human well-being, but it also provides regional solutions for Hebei to achieve sustainable development.

Assessing the Value of Ecosystem Services From an Indigenous Estate: Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area, Australia

The value of ecological systems to human well-being and the economy is often not estimated in contemporary economic and policy decision making processes. Estimating non-marketable and marketable values of ecosystem services from Indigenous managed land provides significant information about the role that the natural environment plays in maintaining the well-being of people. This research investigates the value of ecosystem services from an Indigenous Protected Area, the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area—an estate managed by Indigenous people in northern Australia. It provides valuable insights for policy makers, land managers, and future development programs while informing the importance of managing Indigenous lands for the local and wider public benefits. Additionally, applying the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment framework and the standard ecological economic valuation techniques, this study presents ‘realistic’ values of marketable and non-marketable ecosystem services identified from the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area. The total value of ecosystem services was estimated at $32.6 million per year, which are largely non-marketable (such as climate and water regulation) and these values flow to the local and wider public. This research further argues that investing in managing Indigenous estates helps in reducing welfare costs for the Australian Government worth, in the case of the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area, $8 million per year. Overall, the value of ecosystem services and cost savings demonstrate the real benefits that Indigenous people obtain for working on their land, termed as “Country.” In addition, Indigenous land management delivers offsite ecological, social, and cultural ecosystem services (value estimated at $29 million per year for the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area) which are typically ignored in policy decision making regarding Indigenous matters in Australia. This study highlights the importance of land managed by Indigenous people in Australia and worldwide to comprehend the real value of benefits and suggests developing appropriate stewardship arrangements to support people’s efforts.

The Role and Practice of Geodiversity in Serving Ecosystems in China

This paper demonstrates how geodiversity interconnects with the particular ecosystems and practices within China. As an essential component of natural diversity, geodiversity can provide the necessary services and products to ecosystems and humans. In current Chinese research, theories and methods of geodiversity in China are relatively lacking. We use the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment classification as a basis for four categories: provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. In so doing we present the products and services associated with geodiversity in China. In practice, we found that China, especially in light of its geological survey, already has a working basis for maintaining and enhancing the quality of its geodiversity and geosystem. To better advance the theory and practice of geodiversity in China, we suggest making geodiversity and biodiversity the object of geological surveys to understand its natural processes and distribution. This will ensure that nature as a whole can be appropriately managed and protected, that geodiversity indicators in ecosystem assessments can be clarified, and that equally essential elements of nature policy to promote geodiversity and biodiversity can be added.

Spatio-temporal differentiation and policy optimization of ecological well-being in the Yellow River Delta high-efficiency eco-economic zone

With the development of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, more people are becoming aware of the importance of ecosystem protection. As a crucial part of the human well-being, ecological well-being has always had essential scientific research value. In this paper, authors take the Yellow River Delta high-efficiency eco-economic zone as a case study, based on the theory of land ecosystem services to study the ecological well-being. With the help of expert coefficient value assessment for different types of land use, authors have researched the spatiotemporal differentiation and influence mechanism of regional ecological well-being, using the Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD) model and Geographic Weighted Regression (GWR) model. The results found small differences in change of resource well-being (RW) and large differences in change of environmental well-being (EW) from 1990 to 2020, and the RWs and EWs of the central cities including Dongying Core, Hekou Core, Kenli, Hanting Core and Changyi are higher than those of their surrounding counties. The coupling coordination relationship of RW and EW in the central cities including Dongying Core, Hekou Core and Changyi is larger than in their surrounding counties. Population urbanization (PU) and industrial urbanization (IU) are important factors of change in land use and ecosystem services which influence the human well-being, PU affects RW more significantly, and IU affects EW more significantly. In order to further promote the sustainable ecological well-being of the Yellow River Delta region, authors recommend the conservation of land resources, technological innovation of environmental management and the formulation of environmental law. It provides significant enlightenment and decision support for strengthening the environmental protection of the Yellow River Delta high-efficiency eco-economic zone.

European Hophornbeam Biomass for Energy Application: Influence of Different Production Processes and Heating Devices on Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability has recently shifted towards biodiversity protection via governmental and intergovernmental initiatives (e.g., the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, MA). The life cycle assessment, the widespread method for assessing environmental sustainability, was not created to evaluate impacts on biodiversity. However, several authors recognize its ability to estimate biodiversity loss drivers (impact indices on land use change and ecosystem). The study aims to apply LCA to the forest sector, precisely to the wood–energy chain of Hophornbeam, to cover suggestions of the MA for the biodiversity impact assessment. Six different scenarios for stove (3) and fireplace (3) wood production were analyzed, evaluating two baselines and four alternative scenarios, including sensitivity analyses related to transport distances for the raw materials. The functional unit is 1 MJ of energy. The fireplace combustion scenarios are relatively more sustainable than the stove ones are (2.95–3.21% less). The global warming potential (around 3 g CO2 eq/MJ) is consistent with current European directives on the sustainability of biofuels and scientific literature. The scenarios showed similarities regarding the impact of the categories related to MA drivers. Although biodiversity is protected by limiting forest management, some authors argue that for some species (e.g., Hophornbeam), a rational tree felling could produce biofuels, increasing biodiversity.

Socio-environmental determinants of the perceived value of moist Afromontane forest ecosystem services in Kaffa Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia

The perceived value of Forest Ecosystem Services (FES) varies according to cultural, socio-economic, and environmental conditions. A scientific understanding of how these determinants interact and determine the perceived values of the local community of FES is beneficial for the planning and management of forest resources. This study aimed at contributing to this knowledge gap by examining the impacts of socio-environmental variables for the perceived use-value variation of FES. The sample sites were selected using a stratified sampling method. The data were collected through a social survey with face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions. The results were analyzed using the general linear model, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Mann-Whitney U, and the Kruskal-Wallis test (χ2). For the general assessment, the respondents were provided with a list of 26 FES as stipulated in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Framework. The results illustrated that the Afromontane moist forests offer multiple Ecosystem Services (ES) that could provide social, economic, and physical well-being to residents. The local community prioritized provisioning and regulatory over cultural and supporting ES. The χ2 result showed that only the length of stay and age of the respondents significantly determined variation in the perceived value of FES. The CFA score suggests that a strong correlation was found between cultural, regulatory, and supportive ES. Overall, the respondents mentioned freshwater, climate regulation, and air quality regulation as the most important FES. In summary, the study helps to highlight the impacts of socio-environmental variables on the perceived value of FES and the need to integrate local values into the policy-making process.