Optimize Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Green open spaces in the perspective of ecosystem services (a case study of green open spaces in the urban area of Yogyakarta)

<p>Green
 Open Spaces (GOS) have a variety of ecosystem services which can be utilized by
 society. This study aims to identify criteria for determining ecosystem
 services in GOS, to study the conditions and distributions of potential
 ecosystem services in the Urban Area of Yogyakarta (UAY)’s GOS, and optimize
 the existing ecosystem services in GOS. The research’s locations include GOS in
 UAY consisting of urban forests, city parks, riverbanks, and greenbelts, for a
 total of twelve research locations. The identification of the criteria for GOS
 was accomplished with the expert opinion and comparative methods resulting in
 weight values. The field data and expert assessments were analyzed through a
 scoring analysis to quantify the level of ecosystem services in each research
 location. This data was further analyzed by examining the area allotments
 within the existing regulatory framework to the determine the conditions of GOS
 with optimal ecosystem services. The
 results of the study show that each of the sixteen examined criteria plays a role in ecosystem services. The values
 of ecosystem services of GOS in UAY show different values for each type of GOS.
 In general, the ecosystem services in urban forests are rated favourably in each category, while city parks
 and riverbanks moderate ratings, and greenbelts have the lowest average
 performance of any GOS. Based on the results, optimizing ecosystem services in
 UAY’s GOS can be accomplished by strengthening their performance in each criteri<span lang="IN" style="">on</span> with the most attention paid to each GOS’s
 allotment type.<br><b>
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How can integrated valuation of ecosystem services help understanding and steering agroecological transitions?

Agroecology has been proposed as a promising concept to foster the resilience and sustainability of agroecosystems and rural territories. Agroecological practices are based on optimizing ecosystem services (ES) at the landscape, farm, and parcel scales. Recent progress in research on designing agroecological transitions highlights the necessity for coconstructed processes that draw on various sources of knowledge based on shared concepts. But despite the sense of urgency linked to agroecological transitions, feedbacks from real-world implementation remain patchy. The ability of integrated and participatory ES assessments to support this transition remains largely underexplored, although their potential to enhance learning processes and to build a shared territorial perspective is widely recognized. The overarching question that will be asked in this paper is thus: what is the potential of the ES framework to support the understanding and steering of agroecological transitions ? We argue that conducting collaborative and integrated assessments of ES bundles can increase our understanding of the ecological and social drivers that support a transition toward agroecological systems, and help design agroecological systems based on ES delivery and effectively accompany transition management based on shared knowledge, codesigned future objectives, and actual on-the-ground implementation. In this paper, we discuss this question and propose a four-step integrated ES assessment framework specifically targeted at understanding and steering agricultural transitions that is generic enough to be applied in different contexts.

Exploiting diversity to promote arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and crop productivity in organic farming systems

Beneficial soil microbiota especially arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) deliver essential agroecosystem services in organic farming systems, where the application externalities is often limited. Undoubtedly, organic farming provides optimal conditions for agroecological functioning due to minimal soil disturbance and limited use of agrochemicals. In this context, beneficial soil microbiota are expected to deliver optimal ecosystem services. Nevertheless, the composition, diversity and function of beneficial rhizospheric microorganisms including AMF communities vary upon agronomic practices and soil conditions. Moreover, it is well known that some modern crop cultivars are less responsive to AMF, since they are bred for high intensive agricultural systems where there is sufficient supply of nutrients especially P. Until now, the establishment and function of AMF in organic cropping systems is still poorly understood. Such information is a prerequisite for the implementation of efficient cropping systems that capitalize on biological processes, a key step towards agricultural sustainability. The overall aim of this review is to provide insights on increasing mycorrhizal symbiosis and crop productivity in organic agroecosystems through innovative, temporal and spatial manipulation of species and genetic diversity at the crop cultivar, AMF species and cover crop management levels. The bulk of this review underscores the importance of examing different levels of diversification in organic farming systems, considering functional identity (single species), composition (mixed species) and diversity (heterogeneity within species) and how such components contribute to delivery of multiple agroecosystem services.

Optimization schemes for grassland ecosystem services under climate change

Ecosystem and associated services in arid and semiarid areas are sensitive to climate change and human activities. Guiding human activities based on the optimization of ecosystem services can help humans adapt to climate change effectively, which is vital for regional sustainability. We evaluated the distribution of five ecosystem services: net primary productivity (NPP), soil conservation (SC), water yield (WY), water retention (WR), and livestock supply in the grassland and agro-pastoral transitional zone of China (GAPTZ) under the future climate scenarios of representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP8.5 in 2050. We designed the four grazing-intensity scenarios of ungrazed (UG), lightly grazed (LG), moderately grazed (MG), and heavily grazed (HG) and analyzed the impacts of climate change and grazing on the ecosystem services. Finally, we presented the optimization schemes of grazing intensity in the GAPTZ under the objectives of “strong sustainability” and “weak sustainability”. “Strong sustainability” objective means that the total change rate of ecosystem services compared to the ungrazed scenario is maximal and should not be less than 0. “Weak sustainability” objective means that the livestock supply is preferential and the total change rate of ecosystem services compared to the ungrazed scenario is maximal but could be less than 0. The results showed that both climate change and grazing exert great influence on the supply and interrelation of ecosystem services. In the northeast of the GAPTZ, LG and MG can stimulate grassland to tiller and enlarge ecosystem services integrally. HG has the severest negative effect on ecosystem services overall. Under the “weak sustainability” objective, LG can be widely adopted in the GAPTZ. Under the “strong sustainability” objective, grazing should be limited in the northwestern and north-central GAPTZ. Reasonable planning of grazing intensity and its spatial patterns can promote effective utilization of grassland resource and realization of regional sustainability.

Supporting and regulating ecosystem services in cacao agroforestry systems

Cacao agroforestry systems (CAFS) can provide supporting services such as optimum light conditions for cacao growth, water and nutrient cycling and regulating services such as pest and disease control and climate regulation. This review considers recent literature on the manifestation of these services in CAFS around the world to provide an overview of scientific knowledge. Crown structures of associated trees can facilitate optimum light conditions for cacao growth, and provide water through vertical root segregation. Leaf litter fall and roots from associated species contribute to nutrient cycling. Both nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing species can provide nutrients to the cacao plant, though competition from certain species may limit phosphorus and potassium uptake. Pest and disease regulating services can arise through careful shade management to create a microclimate which reduces susceptibility of cacao to fungal diseases and sun-loving pests. All CAFS store carbon to varying degrees; those resembling original forest much more than simple two-species systems from which shade trees are removed after maturity of the cacao stand. CAFS also promotes biodiversity conservation depending on structure, management, and landscape arrangement, though not to the extent of natural forests. Research opportunities to increase provision of these services include optimal spatial arrangement for nutrient cycling and functional diversity as well as landscape connectivity for biodiversity conservation. Trade-offs between carbon storage, biodiversity, cacao yield and socio-economic resilience are presented, indicating that optimization of ecosystem services in CAFS requires consideration of interactions between all services, including socio-cultural and economic ones. (Resume d'auteur)

Optimizing ecosystem services to deliver multiple benefits.

Abstract The inherently systemic concept of ecosystem services recognizes multiple, qualitatively differing societal benefits, yet most services remain overlooked by contemporary markets and policy drivers contributing to ecosystem degradation. Societal transition from reductive, reactive decision-making about ecosystem management and policy to one founded on a systemic basis is limited by the lag effect of legacy world views and fragmented formal and informal policies. Transformation to systemically based societal decision-making norms may be accelerated by recognizing that desired services should not dominate decision-making, instead of constituting 'anchor services' around which outcomes for linked ecosystem services can be optimized with the involvement of their beneficiaries. Deliberative processes can generate innovations in ecosystem use and management, including identification of 'systemic solutions' that deliberately optimize outcomes across a spectrum of linked ecosystem services. This service-optimizing approach is more equitable through addressing outcomes for diverse service beneficiaries, more economically efficient by recognizing and balancing linked benefits and disbenefits, and more resilient by refocusing on service-producing ecosystem processes. New policies and tools may be required, but the application of the ecosystem services framework to evaluate outcomes in existing tools enables rapid, incremental progress. Systemic thinking about ecosystem dependencies and impacts is relevant to all policy areas and sectors of society.

Trade-offs in water and carbon ecosystem services with land-use changes in grasslands.

Increasing pressures for food, fiber, and fuel continue to drive global land-use changes. Efforts to optimize ecosystem services under alternative land uses are often hampered by the complex interactions and trade-offs among them. We examined the effects of land-use changes on ecosystem carbon storage and groundwater recharge in grasslands of Argentina and the United States to (1) understand the relationships between both services, (2) predict their responses to vegetation shifts across environmental gradients, and (3) explore how market or policy incentives for ecosystem services could affect land-use changes. A trade-off of ecosystem services was evident in most cases, with woody encroachment increasing carbon storage (+29 MgC/ha) but decreasing groundwater recharge (-7.3mm/yr) and conversions to rain-fed cultivation driving opposite changes (-32MgC/ha vs. +13mm/yr). In contrast, crops irrigated with ground water tended to reduce both services compared to the natural grasslands they replaced. Combining economic values of the agricultural products together with the services, we highlight potentials for relatively modest financial incentives for ecosystem services to abate land-use changes and for incentives for carbon to drive land-use decisions over those of water. Our findings also identify key opportunities and caveats for some win-win and lose-lose land-use changes for more integrative and sustainable strategies for land management.

Regional Patterns of Ecosystem Services in Cultural Landscapes

European agricultural landscapes have been shaped by humans to produce marketable private goods such as food, feed, fiber and timber. Land-use intensification to increase provisioning services in such productive landscapes alters the capacity of ecosystems to supply other services (often public goods and services) that are also vital for human wellbeing. However, the interactions, synergies and trade-offs among ecosystem services are poorly understood. We assessed the spatial distribution of the services carbon storage, sediment regulation, water yield, crop production, timber supply, and outdoor recreation in the counties Wetterau and Vogelsberg (Hesse, Germany). These counties represent a gradient from intensive arable land use to more extensive mixed land use systems with domination of grassland and forests. Spatially explicit models were used to map the location and quantity of service supply. We addressed the following questions: (1) Where are areas of high and low supply of individual and multiple ecosystem services? (2) Where do the strongest trade-offs and synergies between different services occur? Our results show a pronounced spatial aggregation of different ecosystem services, with locations where at least four services are being supplied at high levels occupying only 5% of the landscape. Indicators for water provision, timber supply, carbon storage, erosion control, and outdoor recreation are positively related to each other, but this relationship is influenced by the trade-offs associated with the ecosystem service food production. Optimization of ecosystem services at the landscape scale has to take these patterns into account.

Magnitude, spatial scale and optimization of ecosystem services from a nutrient extraction mussel farm in the eutrophic Skive Fjord, Denmark

Suspended mussel aquaculture has been proposed as a possible mechanism by which to remove excess nutrients from eutrophic marine areas. In this study, seasonal mussel growth and water clarification (through seston and phytoplank- ton depletion) were studied at a commercial-scale nutrient extractive mussel farm in a highly eu - trophic Danish fjord. Spatial variations in mussel biomass were examined throughout the year and no significant differences were detected within the farm. Food depletion by mussels was examined at spatial scales ranging from individuals to the entire farm and surrounding area. Phytoplankton deple- tion on the scale of individual mussel loops, deter- mined using the siphon mimic approach, indicated between 27 and 44% depletion of chlorophyll a (chl a). Farm-scale depletion was detected and visualized based on intensive 3D spatial surveys of the distribution of chl a and total suspended partic- ulate matter concentrations both inside and outside the farmed area. Average reductions in food supply within the farm ranged from 13 to 31%, with some areas showing > 50% food depletion. A food deple- tion model was developed to estimate the optimal mussel density required to maximize removal of excess phytoplankton. The model employed mus- sel clearance rate estimates derived from the ob - served magnitude of food depletion within the farm. Model results indicate that the mussel popu- lation filtration rate could be increased by 80 to 120% without any negative feedback on mussel growth. This could be accomplished by approxi- mately doubling the standing stock of mussels in the farm, hence doubling the amount of nutrients removed at mussel harvest.

Genomics to assist mine reclamation: a review

Mine reclamation succeeds when healthy, self‐sustaining ecosystems develop on previously mined lands. Regulations require reclamation of ecosystem services; however, there are few specified targets, and those that are presented are vague. Sequencing genomic DNA and transcribed RNA from environmental samples may provide critical supportive information for attempts to recreate ecosystem functions from the ground up on disturbed lands. In this review, we highlight the use of genomics to meet mine closure goals, to enhance ecosystem development, and to optimize ecosystem services inherent in self‐sustaining reclaimed ecosystems. We address the development of environmental genomics—sequencing and analysis of environmentally derived DNA—to characterize microbial communities on mine sites. We then provide four areas where genomics has proven instrumental for informing management and assisting in reclamation of mine sites in the form of bioreactors, passive treatment systems, novel gene discovery, and DNA barcoding. Finally, we describe how recently developed techniques have transferable value to mine reclamation and provide evidence for future applications of genomics and the necessary steps to integrate these data into comprehensive management of mined sites.

Optimal conservation planning of multiple hydrological ecosystem services under land use and climate changes in Teshio river watershed, northernmost of Japan

Most anthropogenic activities impacted on water quality and quantity, and further impacted on ecosystem services (ESs) in watershed are related to land use and climate changes those may cause losses of ecosystem functions. Effective information regarding ESs and their optimal priority conservation planning responded to land use and climate changes provide useful support for diverse stakeholders in ESs planning, management and policies. This study integrated the approach of spatially explicit ESs (water yield, inorganic nutrient, organic nutrient and sediment retentions) by using hydrology and material flow model (Soil and Water Assessment Tools, SWAT model) into systematic conservation of hydrological ESs according to land use and climate changes in Teshio watershed located in the north of Hokkaido, Japan. We investigated the spatial patterns and the hotspots of ESs changes to determine the spatial pattern of changes in systematic conservation optimal area of ES protection in terms of ESs protection targets. Under the land use and climate change scenarios, the forest land use significantly affected on the water yield, sediment, organic-Nitrogen (N) and organic-Phosphorous (P) retentions. The agricultural land (paddy and farmland fields) impacted on the inorganic-N and inorganic-P retentions. We applied the systematic conservation model (MARXAN model) to optimize the area for management of hydrological ESs satisfied the protection targets (30% and 50% of potential maximum ESs values among all scenarios) in all and individual ecosystem services, respectively. The simulated results indicated that the areas of spatial optimal ESs protection for all hydrological ESs were totally different from those for individual ESs. For bundles of ESs, the optimal priority conservation areas concentrated in southwest, north, and southeast of this watershed, which are related to land use, topography and climate driving factors. These places could guarantee ESs sustainability from both environmental protection and agricultural development standpoints. The priority conservation area turned more compact under climate change because the increased precipitation and temperature increased ESs amount. For individual ESs, the optimal priority conservation areas of water yield, sediment retention and organic nutrient retention were traded off against those of inorganic nutrient retention (lower Jaccard's indexes and negative correlations of selection times). Especially, the negative correlation of selection times increased as the conservation target increased from 30% to 50%. The proposed approach provided useful information for assessing the responses of ESs and systematic conservation optimal planning to the land use and climate changes. The systematic conservation optimal areas of hydrological ESs provided an effective trade-off tool between environmental protection (sediment and organic nutrient retentions) and economic development (water yield and inorganic nutrient retention).

Patterns of livestock activity on heterogeneous subalpine pastures reveal distinct responses to spatial autocorrelation, environment and management.

BackgroundIn order to understand the impact of grazing livestock on pasture ecosystems, it is essential to quantify pasture use intensity at a fine spatial scale and the factors influencing its distribution. The observation and analysis of animal activity is greatly facilitated by remote tracking technology and new statistical frameworks allowing for rapid inference on spatially correlated data. We used these advances to study activity patterns of GPS-tracked cows in six summer-grazing areas in the Swiss Alps that differed in environmental conditions as well as livestock management.ResultsRecorded GPS positions were assigned to the activities of grazing, resting, and walking, and were discretized on a regular grid. Regression models with spatially structured effects were fitted to the spatial activity patterns using Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation. They indicated that terrain slope, forage quality, and stocking rate were the primary factors determining cow activity in the six study areas. Terrain slope significantly reduced livestock activity in five of the six areas and sparse forage availability significantly reduced grazing in all areas. In three areas, grazing pressure imposed by the pasture rotation was observable in the grazing pattern. Insolation, distance to the shed, and distance to water were less important for cow activity. In addition to the main factors identified across all study areas, we found effects operating only in individual areas, which were partly explained by specific environmental and management characteristics. In study areas with few paddocks, environmental variables exerted a stronger control on livestock activity than in areas with a short stocking period per paddock.ConclusionsThe data demonstrated that a strict pasture rotation with short stocking periods is necessary to influence livestock activity, and hence potential effects on ecosystem processes. Without grazing management, livestock activity is primarily determined by the environment. Such insight is indispensable for studying relationships between grazing animals and ecosystem characteristics, and for developing management strategies to optimize ecosystem services. The analysis also highlighted the need for an appropriate statistical treatment of bio-logging data, since various estimates were biased if spatial autocorrelation was ignored.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40462-015-0053-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Assessing changes in water flow regulation in Chongqing region, China.

Water flow regulation is an important ecosystem service that significantly impacts on ecological quality and social benefits. With the aim of improving our understanding of ecosystems and proposing strategies for optimizing ecosystem services, a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach was designed to estimate and map regulated water flow in the Chongqing region of China. In this study, we applied the integrated valuation of environmental services and tradeoffs (InVEST) model and mathematical simulations to estimate the provision of the regulated water flow across space and time in 2000, 2005, and 2010. The results indicated that this ecosystem service had improved by 2.07 % from 2000 to 2010 as a result of human activities (such as vegetation restoration) and climatic interaction. Places with positive changes mainly occurred in high mountain areas, whereas places with negative changes were mainly distributed in resettlement areas along the Yangtze River. The type of ecosystem in areas with high mountains and steep slopes was a relatively minor contributor to the total service, but this ecosystem had the higher water flow regulation capacity. Moreover, with the increase in altitude and slope, the percentage contribution of forest increased significantly from 2000 to 2010; by contrast, the percentage contribution of cropland decreased rapidly. As for the impacts, the spatial variation of water flow regulation in the Chongqing region had a significant relation with climate and human activities at the regional scale. These results provided specific information that could be used to strengthen necessary public awareness about the protection and restoration of ecosystems.

Managing ditches for agroecological engineering of landscape. A review

Agriculture must now feed the planet with the lowest environmental impact. Landscape management is a means to protect natural resources from the adverse impacts. In particular, the adequate management of ditches could improve crop quality. Here, we review ditch design and maintenance. We found the following major points: (1) ditch networks have been primarily designed for waterlogging control and erosion prevention. Nonetheless, when properly managed, farm ditches provide other important ecosystem services, namely groundwater recharge, flood attenuation, water purification, or biodiversity conservation. (2) All ditch ecosystem services depend on many geochemical, geophysical, and biological processes, whose occurrence and intensity vary largely with ditch characteristics. (3) The major ruling characteristics are vegetative cover; ditch morphology; slope orientation; reach connections such as piped sections and weirs, soil, sediment and litter properties, biota, and biofilms; and network topology. (4) Ditch maintenance is an efficient engineering tool to optimize ecosystem services because several ditch characteristics change widely with ditch maintenance. For instance, maintenance operations, dredging, chemical weeding, and burning improve waterlogging and soil erosion control, but they are negative for biodiversity conservation. Mowing has low adverse effects on biodiversity conservation and water purification when mowing is performed at an adequate season. The effects of burning have been poorly investigated.

Large‐scale trade‐off between agricultural intensification and crop pollination services

Unprecedented growth in human populations has required the intensification of agriculture to enhance crop productivity, but this was achieved at a major cost to biodiversity. There is abundant local‐scale evidence that both pollinator diversity and pollination services decrease with increasing agricultural intensification. This raises concerns regarding food security, as two‐thirds of the world's major food crops are pollinator‐dependent. Whether such local findings scale up and affect crop production over larger scales is still being debated. Here, we analyzed a country‐wide dataset of the 54 major crops in France produced over the past two decades and found that benefits of agricultural intensification decrease with increasing pollinator dependence, to the extent that intensification failed to increase the yield of pollinator‐dependent crops and decreased the stability of their yield over time. This indicates that benefits from agricultural intensification may be offset by reductions in pollination services, and supports the need for an ecological intensification of agriculture through optimization of ecosystem services.

Migration and dispersal may drive to high genetic variation and significant genetic mixing: the case of two agriculturally important, continental hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus and Sphaerophoria scripta)

Population structure of pests and beneficial species is an important issue when designing management strategies to optimize ecosystem services. In this study, we investigated for the first time the population structure at a continental scale of two migratory species of hoverflies providing both pest regulation and pollination services [Episyrphus balteatus and Sphaerophoria scripta (Diptera: Syrphidae)]. To achieve this objective, we used two sets of 12 species-specific microsatellite markers on a large-scale sampling from all over Europe. Our findings showed a high level of genetic mixing resulting in a lack of genetic differentiation at a continental scale and a great genetic diversity in the two species. All the pairwise FST values between European localities were less 0.05 in the two species. These low values reflect a large-scale genetic mixing probably caused by the existence of frequent migratory movements in the two species. Mantel tests revealed isolation-by-distance pattern on the East-West axis, but not on the North-South axis. This isolation-by-distance pattern confirms the existence of North-South migratory movements in both directions and suggests an important step by step dispersal. Population features shown by this study are common in invasive species and pests, but are not often observed in beneficial species. They reflect great colonization abilities and a high adaptive potential when dealing with a changing environment. Our results highlight the two studied species as particularly interesting beneficial insects for pollination and pest predation in the current context of global change.

N balance and cycling of Inner Mongolia typical steppe: a comprehensive case study of grazing effects

Increasing grazing pressure and climate change affect nitrogen (N) dynamics of grassland ecosystems in the Eurasian steppe belt with unclear consequences for future delivery of essential services such as forage production, C sequestration, and diversity conservation. The identification of key processes responsive to grazing is crucial to optimize grassland management. In this comprehensive case study of a Chinese typical steppe, we present an in‐depth analysis of grazing effects on N dynamics, including the balance of N gains and losses, and N cycling. N pools and fluxes were simultaneously quantified on three grassland sites of different long‐term grazing intensities.Dust deposition, wind erosion, and wet deposition were the predominant but most variable processes contributing to N losses and gains. Heavy grazing increased the risk of N losses by wind erosion. Hay‐making and sheep excrement export to folds during nighttime keeping were important pathways of N losses from grassland sites. Compared to these fluxes, gaseous N losses (N2O, NO, N2, and NH3) and N losses via export of sheep live mass and wool were of minor relevance. Our N balance calculation indicated mean annual net N losses of 0.9 ± 0.8 g N/m2 (mean ± SD) at the heavily grazed site, whereas the long‐term ungrazed site was an N sink receiving mean annual inputs of 1.8 ± 1.1 g N/m2, mainly due to dust deposition. Heavy grazing reduced pool sizes of topsoil organic N, above‐ and belowground biomass, and N fluxes with regard to plant N uptake, decomposition, gross microbial N turnover, and immobilization. Most N‐related processes were more intensive in seasons of higher water availability, indicating complex interactions between land use intensity and climate variability. The projected increase of atmospheric N depositions and changes in rainfall pattern imposed by land use change will likely affect N sink–source pathways and N flux dynamics, indicating high potential impact on grassland ecosystem functions. Land use practices will be increasingly important for the management of N dynamics in Chinese typical steppe and, therefore, must be considered as key component to maintain, restore or optimize ecosystem services.

Urban and agricultural soils: conflicts and trade-offs in the optimization of ecosystem services

On-going human population growth and changing patterns of resource consumption are increasing global demand for ecosystem services, many of which are provided by soils. Some of these ecosystem services are linearly related to the surface area of pervious soil, whereas others show non-linear relationships, making ecosystem service optimization a complex task. As limited land availability creates conflicting demands among various types of land use, a central challenge is how to weigh these conflicting interests and how to achieve the best solutions possible from a perspective of sustainable societal development. These conflicting interests become most apparent in soils that are the most heavily used by humans for specific purposes: urban soils used for green spaces, housing, and other infrastructure and agricultural soils for producing food, fibres and biofuels. We argue that, despite their seemingly divergent uses of land, agricultural and urban soils share common features with regards to interactions between ecosystem services, and that the trade-offs associated with decision-making, while scale- and context-dependent, can be surprisingly similar between the two systems. We propose that the trade-offs within land use types and their soil-related ecosystems services are often disproportional, and quantifying these will enable ecologists and soil scientists to help policy makers optimizing management decisions when confronted with demands for multiple services under limited land availability.

Organic matter stabilization and ecosystem functions: proceedings of the fourth conference on the mechanisms of organic matter stabilization and destabilization (SOM-2010, Presqu’île de Giens, France)

A better knowledge of soil organic matter (SOM) stabilisation and destabilisation processes may help improving soil management strategies and practices to optimize ecosystem services such as organic carbon (C) storage and mitigation of greenhouse gases, improvement of soil structure and protection against erosion, sustainability of soil fertility (Lal 2004). A series of international conferences on the mechanisms of organic matter stabilization and destabilization was launched in 2003 in Hohenkammer in Germany (Kogel-Knabner et al. 2005). The next editions took place in Asilomar in 2005 (Sollins et al. 2007) and in Glenelg, near Adelaide, Australia in 2007 (Smernik and Skjemstad 2009). This special issue of Biogeochemistry, presents in 10 articles some of the results from the fourth edition of these conferences (SOM-2010), which took place on 19–23 September 2010 in the Presqu’ile de Giens, France. This edition was organized by the soil organic matter group of the Bioemco laboratory (Biogeochemistry and Ecology of Continental Ecosystems) based in Thiverval-Grignon, France, and was entitled ‘‘Organic matter stabilization and ecosystem functions’’. It was also part of the series of conferences of the group Molter (Molecular structures as drivers and tracers of terrestrial C fluxes), an ESF-funded research networking programme for the 2008–2013 period. The conference was attended by 177 delegates (including 65 students) from 21 countries, with most from France, Germany and USA. This fourth conference was specifically dedicated to ecological aspects of OM stabilization and destabilization mechanisms in sediments and soils.

生态系统服务竞争与协同研究进展

生态系统服务作为生态系统评估的核心领域,是生态学的研究热点。生态系统提供服务的形式与能力受人类活动强烈影响,反之,生态系统服务的变化又影响着人类相关决策的制定。不同生态系统服务之间很难甚至不可能同时达到利益最大化,即存在着不同程度此消彼长的竞争关系。此外,不同生态系统服务之间也可能形成相互促进或抑制的协同作用。探讨不同生态系统服务的相互关系(竞争与协同作用),有利于揭示不同尺度利益相关方与生态系统服务之间的作用与反馈机制,避免生态系统服务的重复估算;同时可为制定与实施生态补偿、提高人类福祉提供科学依据,优化生态系统服务管理。综合研究了近期国外生态系统服务竞争关系与协同作用的相关文献,在简述当前生态系统服务研究若干问题的基础上,以生态系统服务竞争与协同为视角,厘清了生态系统服务竞争与协同的基本内涵,总结了生态系统服务竞争与协同的主要类型,探讨了生态系统服务竞争与协同的空间与时间尺度效应;介绍并总结了生态系统服务竞争与协同两种主要研究方法(生态-经济综合模型方法、基于土地利用的情景分析法)的特点与适应范围。;Being the core of ecosystem assessment, studies on ecosystem services have been becoming a focus in the field of ecology. The formation and provisioning capacity of ecosystem services are tremendously affected by human activities. Conversely, the magnitudes of ecosystem service changes also influence the preferences of human being's daily decision-making. Investigation into the dynamics of the trade-offs and synergistic relationships of regional ecosystem services will shed light on interactions and feedbacks between ecosystem services and the stakeholders at different spatial and temporal scales, and avoid double-counting issue in ecosystem services assessment. In addition, information and progress on trade-offs and synergies in the delivery of ecosystem services will provide scientific basis for designing and implementing eco-compensation schemes and optimize the management behavior of ecosystem services, and finally improve human well-being associated with trade-offs and synergies among different ecosystem services.<br>It is revealed from this review that in the last decades, the valuation of ecosystem services has been received lots of attentions in the decision-making and scientific research communities. However, the double-counting issue during the valuation process usually leads to insufficient or biased guidance in the management of ecosystem services. Since ecosystem service is benefit that human receives from the natural ecosystems, the stakeholders' demand for ecosystem services from different spatial and temporal scales often causes competitions and conflicts among ecosystem's various goods and services. The interactions between human being and ecosystem services often give rise to trade-offs and synergies which in turn directly affect human welfare.<br>With regard to the terminologies, trade-offs between ecosystem services refers to the enhancement of one ecosystem service locally in a short term is at the cost of other ecosystem services locally or at a large spatial scale (e.g., globally) in the future. It can be simplified as the win-lose mode. The term synergies means the synchronous changes between two or among many different ecosystem services, including the win-win mode and the lose-lose mode. The trade-offs and synergistic relationships exist not only within different categories of provisioning services, but also among different ecosystem services and like provision services, regulation services, cultural services, and supporting services. Findings from about 12 literatures has shown specific examples of such kind of trade-offs and synergistic relations, for instance, among provisioning services, between regulating services and cultural services, between provisioning services and supporting services, among regulating services, and between provisioning services and regulating services. The spatial scale of trade-offs and synergies contain various scales, for instance, from ecological scale to institutional scale. The temporal scale could be short-term to long-term based.<br>This paper indicates that so far, trade-offs and synergies analysis of ecosystem services is still at its early stage. However, we identified and summarized two research approaches which have already been commonly used for the analysis of ecosystem services' trade-offs: (1) the Integrated Ecological-Economic Model: it is a traditional approach which is often used to quantify trade-offs. The Model consists of several ecological and economic models. The ecological models are mostly used to analyze the magnitudes of the changes of ecosystem services, while the economic models to evaluate the impacts of the change on human welfare. Since land use and land cover change serves as a direct driving factor of the ecosystem services' trade-offs and synergies, it will become even more extensive due to intensification of interactions between the two in the future. (2) Scenarios Analysis based on Landuse is attracting more and more attention in scientific literature. Remote sensing data and management policies of ecosystem services provide strong data basis for the scenarios formulation and analysis. It could provide more objective and spatially-explicit information on the trade-offs and synergies for optimizing ecosystem services management.