Production Of Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Seminatural areas act as reservoirs of genetic diversity for crop pollinators and natural enemies across Europe

AbstractDespite increasing recognition of the importance of the multiple dimensions of biodiversity, including functional or genetic diversity as well as species diversity, most conservation studies on ecosystem service‐providing insects focus on simple diversity measures such as species richness and abundance. In contrast, relatively little is known about the genetic diversity and resilience of pollinators or natural enemies of crop pests to population fragmentation and local extinction. The genetic diversity and demographic dynamics of remnant populations of beneficial insects in agricultural areas can be a useful indicator proving additional insights into their conservation status, but this is rarely evaluated. Although gene flow between agricultural and seminatural areas is key to maintaining genetic diversity, its extent and directionality remain largely unexplored. Here, we apply a pan‐European sampling protocol to quantify genetic diversity and structure and assess gene flow between agricultural and nearby seminatural landscapes in populations of two key ecosystem service‐providing insect species, the lady beetle Coccinella septempunctata, an important predator of aphids and other crop pests, and the bee pollinator Andrena flavipes. We show that A. flavipes populations are genetically structured at the European level, whereas populations of C. septempunctata experience widespread gene flow across the continent and lack any defined genetic structure. In both species, we found that there is high genetic connectivity between populations established in croplands and nearby seminatural areas and, as a consequence, they harbor similar levels of genetic diversity. Interestingly, demographic models for some regions support asymmetric gene flow from seminatural areas to nearby agricultural landscapes. Collectively, our study demonstrates how seminatural areas can serve as genetic reservoirs of both pollinators and natural enemies for nearby agricultural landscapes, acting as sources for recurrent recolonization and, potentially, contributing to enhancing ecosystem service and crop production resilience in the longer term.

Quantifying the impact of Great Green Wall and Corporate plantations on tree density and biomass in Sahelian Senegal

The Great Green Wall (GGW) is an international initiative to combat land degradation and restore native plant life in the Sahel, but due to a lack of monitoring tools, it remains unknown to be considered as success or failure. Here, we quantify the impact of GGW plantations and Corporate plantations (privately owned) in Sahelian Senegal based on remote sensing data and deep learning by mapping individual trees and their biomass across the Sahel region. Tree features (cover, density and above-ground biomass) have been computed in every hectare of 42 plantations (of both, corporate and GGW) and their surrounding non-planted areas, subsequently used for a comparative analysis of tree features. Results showed that gains in tree features varied substantially between plantations. At plot scale, among Corporate plantations, the average gain in tree density was 61.16±42.12 trees/ha while it was 5.7±5.8 trees/ha for GGW plantations. In regards to tree cover, the average gain was 618.5±588.5 m2/ha for Corporate plantations and 71.72±108.89m2/ha for GGW plantations. For the above-ground biomass, the average gain was 3.36±3.29 tons/ha in the Corporate plantations and 0.46±0.67 tons/ha in the GGW plantations. The average gain in foliar biomass in the Corporate plantations was 0.15±0.13 tons/ha and in the GGW plantations, it was 0.02±0.03 tons/ha. The average gain in wood biomass was 3.21±3.12 tons/ha among the Corporate plantations and was 0.43±0.64 tons/ha among the GGW plantations. Notably, regarding the relative benefit in terms of ecosystem services per unit of density, each tree in GGW plantations contribute more to ecosystem services per unit of density compared to Corporate plantations. In GGW, each gained tree contributes 18 m2 of cover, 116.1 kg of above-ground biomass, 5.6 kg of foliar biomass, and 114.2 kg of woody biomass, while in corporate plantations, on the other hand, each gained tree adds 9 m2 of cover, 48.4 kg of above-ground biomass, 2.3 kg of foliar biomass, and 46.3 kg of woody biomass. These findings are opposed to conventional paradigms, suggesting that the Great Green Wall, while perhaps missing its tree density targets, has succeeded in its mission to produce ecosystem services per tree. This raises important questions about the redefinition of objectives in reforestation projects, focusing on quality rather than quantity, a perspective that could transform our understanding of the successes and failures of these essential ecological restoration initiatives. However, the assessment primarily relies on indicators such as cover and biomass, potentially overlooking other crucial ecosystem services. Therefore, while our conclusions underscore the effectiveness of reforestation initiatives, future research should aim to establish a more comprehensive understanding of ecosystem services by incorporating additional indicators beyond cover and biomass, such as species diversity, soil health, water retention, and habitat quality.

Navigating EU-Sweden forestry disputes

This meta-empirical study delves into the conflicts between Sweden and its forestry industry in response to the EU-commission's demands for sustainable forest management. Combining theoretical foundations with empirical analysis of existing research, this study grounds itself in a clear definition of forests as intricate, adaptive, and ever-evolving systems. The central research question revolves around the efficacy of Sweden's guiding principle, "freedom under responsibility," in shaping forest policy and fostering long-term sustainability.To dissect the core of this conflict, two fundamental hypotheses are explored. The first centers on the clash of interests between the Swedish government and forest industry stakeholders, while the second delves into the tension between monetarily valued ecosystem services and those without a market value, a natural market being absent. These questions are scrutinized using a novel method tailored for conflict analysis. A model article and two specific analysis articles are developed, each focusing on distinct facets of forest management, and are subsequently compared to reveal insightful contrasts.This contrasting approach unveils a comprehensive socio-economic framework underlying these conflicts—a framework that often remains concealed due to deeply ingrained patterns of thought and behavior within homogeneous groups. The method's greatest strength lies in its ability to render the invisible visible and the "silent" audible. It clarifies what might be obscured in the model article, bringing the contours of the conflict into sharp relief.The study findings affirm the value and democratic nature of the "freedom under responsibility" principle. However, for it to yield the intended outcomes, substantial and continuous educational efforts directed at relevant forest management stakeholders are imperative. This meta-empirical study highlights the necessity of a robust educational campaign to ensure the principle's success.Moreover, this study contributes theoretical insights that could serve as a foundation for conflict resolution:•Forests are complex, adaptive, and dynamic systems.•Human intervention prompts responses and adaptations within this system.•The choice of management strategies plays a pivotal role in achieving specific outcomes, whether biomass production or the preservation of natural forest characteristics.•The production of forest ecosystem services necessitates active management and does not occur automatically.

ESMAX for spatial agroecology: A conceptual spatial model for the quantification and visualisation of ES performance from different configurations of landscape

AbstractIntroductionAgriculture is confronted by the dual challenges of increasing global demand for food production while reducing negative impacts on the environment. One suggested solution is transitioning modern industrial agriculture to more agroecologically‐informed practices, thus realigning increased food production with the carrying capacity of Earth Systems. The transition to multifunctional agroecological systems, that promote the production of multiple ecosystem services (ES) as well as food production, requires an adaptive management process that addresses climate‐change, market complexity, practical implementation and knowledge transfer.Materials & MethodsThis work proposes a spatially explicit methodology to support this process. Spatial agroecology, in this context, combines a new Geographic Information Systems (GIS)‐based model (ESMAX) with development of a ‘solution space’ to assist stakeholders identify configurations of agroecological components (in this case, trees on farm) at the scale of a 1 ha paddock to supply a targeted range of regulating ES (cooling effect, flood mitigation and habitat). ESMAX uses distance‐decay characteristics specific to each type of regulating ES to quantify and visualise the influence of spatial configuration of ES‐supplying tree clumps on overall ES performance.ResultsThe results from this application of spatial agroecology suggest regulating ES production at farm and paddock scale is influenced by the arrangement of trees on farm. ESMAX's results show paddocks with large tree clumps return the best cooling effect, while small clumps deliver the best flood mitigation and most suitable habitat. Evenly dispersed arrangements of small tree clumps provide the best multifunctional performance across all three ES modelled in this work.ConclusionDesigned spatial agroecological interventions can affect landscape multifunctionality at paddock scale, where practical decisions are made and implemented. This provides spatially explicit support of an adaptive management process. Utilising agroecological systems as spatial mechanisms for supplying critical regulating ES also highlights a new function for agriculture in the Anthropocene epoch.

Interactions between climate, shade canopy characteristics and cocoa production in Colombia

Properly designed agroforestry systems (AFS) can generate optimal cocoa bean (BC) yields, produce co-products and provide ecosystem services. This study analyzes the interactions between climate, AFS structure and BC yield in six climatic zones across three natural regions of Colombia. A total of 305 plots of 1,000 m2 each were established in 132 farms where the cocoa-AFS structure, BC yield and climatic variables were determined. Five typologies of cocoa-AFS were obtained based on the characteristics of the shade canopy and the abundance of cocoa trees: “Highly diversified multistratum with high biomass” (HDMHB), “Diversified multistratum with high shade and abundance of Musaceae (DMHSM),” “Diversified multistratum with high abundance of cocoa trees (DMHDC),” “Diversified monostratum with low shade (DMLS)” and “monostratum with minimal shade (MMS).” In the departments of Huila and Caquetá, Andean and Amazonia regions, respectively, the HDMHB typology predominated, while in Meta, the Orinoquia region, it was MMS. In the temperate-humid zone, the DMHDC and DMHSM typologies were not found. A high floristic diversity of the shade canopy was found: 229 species; Caquetá registered the highest number (152). The most frequent canopy companion species were Musa paradisiaca, Cariniana pyriformis, Cedrela odorata, Psidium guajava, Musa sapientum, and Cordia alliodora. The highest abundance of cocoa trees occurs in areas with lower temperature and relative humidity and in AFS with lower abundance of fruit and timber trees. Zones with higher temperature and lower precipitation had higher abundance of timber species (r = 0.23). The BC yield is higher in areas with higher precipitation and is related to the lower abundance of individuals of timber and fruit species, and to the higher abundance of Fabaceae. The BC yield depends on the typology (p < 0.0001) of the cacao systems and was higher in DMHDC (1,148 kg ha−1 yr.−1). These results are key for the design of cocoa-AFS farms that maximize the integral production of BC, co-products and ecosystem services, approaching sustainable cocoa farming.

A past–present–future lens of environmental change: blending applied paleoecology and participatory system dynamics modeling at a conservation site in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa

Landscapes are social–ecological systems (SESs) that produce ecosystem services, which change over time in response to environmental, biotic, and social drivers. Failure to consider this variability, and the feedbacks that can stabilize or destabilize systems, can have consequences for sustainable ecosystem services provision. This study applies a conceptual meta-framework, past–present–future lens, to interpret changes in land cover and ecosystem services within the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa. Paleoecology (fossil pollen, spores, and charcoal) and participatory system dynamics modeling were used to explore long-term variability in provisioning ecosystem services (plant biodiversity) and the drivers of this variability (fire and herbivory) at Elandsberg Private Nature Reserve (Elandsberg PNR). From ca. 1800s, the paleoecological record suggests that environmental changes, particularly a transition to unpalatable Elytropappus-dominated vegetation, were driven by grazing and that an ecological threshold was crossed in ca. 1950s due to agricultural intensification. Participatory system dynamics was used to identify feedbacks in the dynamic SES structure. The ecological model replicates the paleoecological results and, furthermore, suggests that in the future, returning the system to within historical ranges variability may require sustained reductions in both grazing and fire over decades. This innovative approach blends paleoecology and participatory system dynamics to provide an evidence-based understanding of temporal variability and feedbacks for policymakers and land-use managers to inform sustainable land management.

Assessment of carbon emissions due to landscape fires in Ukraine during war in 2022

The russian military aggression and the related socio-economic and environmental consequences have significantly affected the climate and production of ecosystem services through damage to forests, ecosystems, landscape fires and emissions of gases into the atmosphere. The study aims to estimate carbon dioxide emissions due to landscape fires in Ukraine during the year 2022. The OroraTech wildfire monitoring technology was used to detect fires, while perimeters of burned areas were delineated with Sentinel 2 time series. The Copernicus Dynamic Land Cover map was used to extract burned land covers. Emissions were calculated based on the intensity of fires (dNBR) with the share of burned biomass in different types of land cover. Biomass models were selected considering the dominant tree species within a specific region and the species structure of the sown areas of croplands. The volume of biomass losses was estimated as a result of fires of different severities. It was estimated that during in 2022, landscape fires burned 749.5 thousand hectares thereof: croplands – 419.1 thousand hectares; other natural vegetation – 273.8 thousand hectares; conifer forests – 31.1 thousand hectares; other forests – 25.5 thousand hectares. The impact of the war on landscape fires is confirmed by the large proportion of fires in the 60-kilometre buffer zone along the frontline – 68.9% of the total area of fire. Among all fires, 42.5% of fires occurred in the occupied territory. Total CO2 emissions from all types of landscape fires reached 5.20 million tons and other greenhouse gases – 0.28 million tons. It is the first detailed mapping of landscape fires with an analysis of each polygon for the whole territory of Ukraine. The results provide important information for assessing the loss of ecosystem services and estimating carbon dioxide emissions as well as for confirming the impact of hostilities on landscape fires

Energy, Trophic Dynamics and Ecological Discounting

Ecosystems provide humanity with a wide variety and high economic value-added services, from biomass structuring to genetic information, pollutants’ decomposition, water purification and climate regulation. The foundation of ecosystem services is the Eltonian Pyramid, where via prey–predator relationships, energy metabolism and biomass building take place. In the context of existing ecosystem services classification and valuation methods (e.g., CICES, MEA, TEEB), financial investments in ecosystem services essentially address the conservation of trophic pyramids. Our work’s main target is to investigate how trophic pyramids’ dynamics (stability or instability) impact the long-run discounting of financial investments on ecosystem services’ value. Specifically, a trophic pyramid with highly fluctuating populations generates higher risks for the production of ecosystem services, hence for ecological finance instruments coupled to them, due to higher temporal uncertainty or information entropy that should be incorporated into their discount rates. As this uncertainty affects negatively the net present value (NPV) of financial capital on ecosystem services, we argue that the minimization of biomass fluctuations in trophic pyramids via population control should be among the priorities of ecosystem management practices. To substantiate our hypothesis, we construct a logistic predation model, which is consistent with the Eltonian Pyramid’s ecological energetics. As the logistic predator model’s parameters determine the tropic pyramid’s dynamics and uncertainty, we develop an adjusted Shannon entropy index (H(N)ADJ) to measure this effect as part of the discount rate. Indicatively, we perform a Monte Carlo simulation of a pyramid with intrinsic growth parameter values that yield oscillating population sizes. Finally, we discuss, from an ecological energetics standpoint, issues of competition and diversity in trophic pyramids, as special dimensions and extensions of our analytical framework.

Probabilistic typology of private forest owners: A tool to target the development of new market for ecosystem services

Understanding how and why private forest owners manage their forests is the basis for efficient policy, and improperly targeting forest owners can lead to inefficiencies. Furthermore, new markets for ecosystem services have been proposed as a way to diversity private forest owner revenues and move forest management in a more sustainable direction. Based on a survey of 220 French private forest owners, we perform a cluster analysis to identify distinct groups of forest owners according to their stated behaviors. Owners were clustered based on their rating of statements derived from existing profiles as well as their rating of the importance of new markets and social recognition. We then test if our owner classifications are sufficient predictors of the valuation of a set of ecosystem services, explicitly comparing an individual’s stated need for ecosystem services to their perceived social demand. Our results confirm previously reported forest owner typologies of European forest owners, and show that these typologies can meaningfully explain variation in ecosystem service demand. This is important as the preservation and production of ecosystem services are increasingly important components of forest management and policy.

How does Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) Improve Soil Fertility and Plant Cover in the Simiri Commune in Niger?

Aims: This study aimed to assess Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) impacts on improving soil fertility and plant cover through the physicochemical characterization of soil samples taken from ANR fields and control fields.
 Study Design: The experimental design is made up of a vegetation observation gradient along an East-West transect and a soil sampling gradient along a North-South transect.
 Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in the Sahelian zone in the rural commune of Simiri in Niger between May and June 2023.
 Methodology: Data on the diversity of species predominant in the ANR system, the social categories of ANR users and farmers' perceptions of ANR were collected on a sample of 120 farmers chosen at random from three villages in the commune of Simiri.
 Results: A sandy texture was recorded in all the samples submitted for analysis, with an overall acid of soil pH (5.18 ⁃ 5.62). The proportions of the main nutrients: C(0,16), N(0,015), P(6,88), K(0,066), Mo(0,30) C/N(10,83) were relatively higher in the fields under ANR practices compared with the control fields. With regard to the dominant woody species, the results show that the stands are mainly based on Combretum glutinosum, Combretum micranthum and Guera senegalensis. The ability of woody species to withstand stressful conditions could act as a bulwark against climatic hazards. The strong dominance of these species is due, among other things, to their regenerative capacity, their rapid spread and, above all, their economic interest in the production of firewood and other ecosystem services.
 Conclusion: The Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) adoption in farming practices has often been accompanied by the creation of village committees for the protection and management of trees and other areas of sustainable natural resource management. Despite mutilation and other illegal felling, the new agroforestry parks increase the resilience of agricultural production systems to climatic shocks and biotic stresses.

Current increment of ecosystem services in permanent sample plots within the forest stands of the Feofania park-monument

Despite the fact that forests in nature conservation areas are of mature and over-mature age, they have a leading role in the production of ecosystem services, in particular in ensuring biodiversity. In the typical sense, at the mature and over-mature age of stands, the growth of live biomass and carbon sequestration almost stops, and the death of trees leads to a negative change in the stock. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the ability of over-mature forests to accumulate live biomass under the condition of the formation of multi-tiered and different-age stands. The research was conducted on four permanent sample plots of the Feofania park-monument, which were established in 2016 and 2017. The method of approximate mensuration was used to study the current growth of ecosystem services. The method of dendrochronology was used to analyse annual rings. The age range of experimental stands is between 80 and 180 years. Experimental stands of all sample plots are characterized by high-level productivity, compared to model data on the productivity of stands in Ukraine and the European part of Eurasia. According to the results of the research, it was established that the biggest current increment of ecosystem services is formed in the uneven-aged stand with the centuries-old common oak trees of the overstory. The results of the research can be used in practice for the management of nature conservation areas and improvement of the management of over-mature forests

Profit-efficiency analysis of forest ecosystem services in the southeastern US

Technical, allocative, and profit efficiency of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris. Mill) forests in the southeastern United States, producing ecosystem services such as timber, tree biodiversity, water, and carbon sequestration, were estimated. This study employed a non-parametric two-stage approach involving data envelopment analysis (DEA) and robust linear regression. Utilizing data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program spanning 1977–2015 and covering 2,282 forest plots, most longleaf pine forest plots were technically and profit inefficient in ecosystem service production. The inefficiency in profit appeared more attributable to allocative rather than technical inefficiency. Furthermore, the impact of various exogenous variables on inefficiency scores was assessed through robust linear regression. The findings suggested that forest disturbances under private ownership could reduce technical inefficiency. Surprisingly, contrary to stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) results, the robust regression model, considering geographical factors, disturbance, ownership, management, and time in the presence of outliers/influential observations, indicated that disturbances often increased technical inefficiency. Therefore, forest management strategies aiming to mimic or replicate the effects of forest disturbances might compromise the efficiency of ecosystem service provision.

Incentivizing the production of ecosystem services on working lands: The opportunities and challenges of funding “nature’s contributions to people” in the U.S. Northeast

AbstractIn the coming decades, promoting the production of ecosystem service provisioning will become increasingly important in the U.S. Northeast, which is expected to experience a number of impacts as a result of climate change, including rising temperatures, changes in precipitation and seasonality, and sea-level rise, among others (U.S. Global Change Research Program 2020). Incentives have been shown to motivate the adoption of sustainable production practices that provision ecosystem services across different types of working landscapes. Using data from a recent landscape assessment in the Northeast, this paper finds an incredible breadth of programs available to producers across a variety of working landscapes (e.g., agricultural lands and working forests) and for different production practices. These data also point to critical gaps in current programming and also highlight important opportunities for programmatic synergy and more holistic program design going forward. This paper concludes by discussing the results in the context of four main themes of particular relevance to the U.S. Northeast which include (1) working landbase and infrastructure, (2) livelihood provisioning, (3) scale, and (4) resilience.

A comprehensive framework for quantifying ecosystem service flow focusing on social-ecological processes

Ecosystem service flow refers to the whole process of ecosystem service production, delivery and utilization, which is closely related to social-ecological processes. However, quantifying the entire ecosystem service flow process remains challenging, placing limits on the management of social-ecological systems to improve human wellbeing. Here, we explored the relationship between social-ecological processes (e.g., product transfer, matter cycling, energy flow and information delivery) and the spatial flow of ecosystem service. Then, we reviewed methods quantifying the spatial flow of ecosystem service. Finally, we proposed a comprehensive framework for quantifying the whole process of ecosystem service flow in terms of social-ecological processes. The framework consists of the quantification of ecosystem service supply and demand, the spatial flow of ecosystem service between suppliers and consumers, and the quantification of utilized ecosystem service. To better quantify the whole process of ecosystem service flow, we need to further understand the factors impacting ecosystem service flow, develop process-based models integrating beneficiaries and infrastructure, and establish social-ecological approaches to inform ecosystem service flow governance.

Cultural functional groups associated with birds relate closely to avian ecological functions and services

The global rapid decline of ecological systems has highlighted the potential of ecosystem functions to drive conservation discourse. Ecosystem functions underpin important ecosystem services, and have been described for birds in South Africa based on measurable ecological traits (physiological, structural, behavioural, or phenological characteristics), as well as cultural functions (human preferences for morphological and behavioural traits). Understanding the spatial relationships between ecological and cultural functions can provide insight into the extent to which cultural services of birds are correlated with different ecological functions, and identify potential synergies in the distribution of cultural and ecological services. Here we show that when correcting for the effect of species richness and spatial autocorrelation on functional group richness, there is a clear correlation between avian cultural and ecological functional groups in South Africa (r = 0.6, t = 32.20, df = 1936, p < 0.05), suggesting that cultural functions are strongly correlated with ecologically relevant traits, despite their production being primarily mediated through human perception. This relationship was highly correlated in National Parks (r = 0.75, t = 14.95, df = 182, p < 0.05). For conservation initiatives that aim to maximise both ecosystem function and ecosystem service production, it is critical to identify and support synergies in the distribution of different functional groups to promote the production of multiple ecosystem services.

Linking Flood Risk Mitigation and Food Security: An Analysis of Land-Use Change in the Metropolitan Area of Rome

Land consumption and climate change have intensified natural disasters in urban areas. In response to these emergencies under the European 2030 Agenda, Sustainable Development Goals have been established to improve ecosystem protection and increase resilience and adaptation to natural disasters globally (Goal 13 “Climate action” and Goal 15 “Life on land”). In order to implement governance tools appropriately, it is necessary to know the relationships among the drivers, the changes in the state of urban ecosystems and agro-ecosystems, and the impact on the supply of goods and services at spatial and temporal scales. In this paper, Land-Use and Land-Cover Changes (LULCCs) in the metropolitan area of Rome have been investigated, with the purpose of detecting the synergistic variations in the supply of the flood mitigation and agricultural production ecosystem services (ES). The methodology is based on a GIS (Geographic Information System) analysis that identifies the transformation processes and permanencies related to land-cover. The variation in flood mitigation services was quantified through the use of the Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Model (UFRM) from the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) suite, while the variation in agricultural production through productivity coefficients was associated with changes in land-uses. Finally, an analysis of LULC-induced synergies and trade-offs between the two services was performed. The results show a net negative change in ES supply, caused mainly by urbanization at the expense of agricultural land. This decrease in ES supply is not offset by other LULCC transitions. In addition, the analysis of synergies and trade-offs between flood mitigation ES and agricultural production ES (in arable land, orchards, vineyards, and olive groves) shows that the reduction of agricultural land negatively affects both ES. The innovative contribution of this paper lies in setting an integrated methodology that is able to investigate how LULCC influences both hydraulic safety and food security. Findings can be useful to support planning of enhancing the role of agriculture in metropolitan areas.

Modelling the influence of thinning intensity and frequency on the future provision of ecosystem services in Mediterranean mountain pine forests

Thinnings are silvicultural operations that repetitively reduce tree density to improve the vigour of the remaining trees and the economic benefits of the stands. Thinning can also enhance the provision of various ecosystem services throughout the rotation period. In this study, we use a modelling approach to evaluate stand dynamics and the provision of ecosystem services (mushroom production, wood for timber, carbon storage, blue water, and habitat for biodiversity) in Mediterranean mountain pine forests. We simulated thirteen thinning regimes—defined by intensity and frequency—under two different climate change scenarios. We implemented the thinning regimes using SORTIE-ND, an individual-based model of forest dynamics, and then we used models developed for the study area to calculate the provision of services. We used as a case study Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra stands, and we evaluated the effect of the thinning regime, climate change, and forest type over 100 years. Our simulations suggest that the production of timber and carbon decreased with increasing intensity and shortening frequency of thinnings, while the provision of mushrooms and blue water generally increased under those conditions. Large timber was better supported by a thinning regime with heavy intensity and shorter frequencies, which also favoured the rapid presence of large dead trees (dbh > 30 cm) in the stand. We found synergies between the production of timber and carbon, while the provision of mushrooms and particularly blue water were in a trade-off relationship with these services. Our simulations show that climate change will lower the production of ecosystem services under the most severe climate predictions and alter the effect of different regimes on the provision of services. We conclude that our modelling approach is a useful and efficient tool for answering questions that would otherwise require long-term studies, and that it can provide useful information to guide management efforts to adapt forest management to the challenges of climate change.

Spatial Prioritization of Ecosystem Services for Land Conservation: The Case Study of Central Italy

Ecosystem services delivered by natural ecosystems are increasingly important for climate change adaptation and mitigation and play a huge role in biodiversity conservation. For this reason, the EU has the ambitious goal of protecting at least 30% of land by 2030. Member states are called to improve and expand the network of protected areas within the next few years; to do so, scientific studies aimed at identifying areas with high ecological value, as well as at defining best management practices, are highly needed. In this study, we used the InVEST suite of models to spatially assess three regulating ecosystem services, that is, carbon storage, seasonal water yield, and urban flood risk mitigation in three administrative regions of central Italy. Using overlay analysis, we found areas with the highest delivery in each of the considered ESs; based on these findings, we eventually proposed four new protected areas, which combine for 888 km2, that is, 2.73% of the study area. Interestingly, each of the newly proposed protected areas has somehow been discussed and hypothesized by stakeholders, but only one is presumably going to be part of the national network of protected areas within the next years. Hopefully, by prioritizing areas according to the production of ecosystem services, this study can be intended as a step towards the systematic inclusion of ecosystem services studies for enhancing the network of areas under national protection schemes and achieving the goal of protecting at least 30% of land in Europe by 2030.

Potential degradation of mamar functions in ecosystem services Production: the cases of Benlutu Village, West Timor

Mamar is a traditional agroforestry in West Timor which has many benefits for the people of this region. This paper aims to identify the potential degradation of Mamar functions in the production of ecosystem services in Benlutu Village which is one of the oldest Mamars in West Timor. This paper was compiled from the results of research at the end of 2020 and the results of a desk review of relevant writings in 2022. The method in this research was in-depth interviews and field observations covering changes in land cover in Benlutu Village. in 2000, 2010, 2020; identify soil damage for biomass production; and Significant Value Index. The results of the study indicate that there is a conflict of interest in the management of Benlutu Mamar which has the potential to reduce the production of ecosystem services on a large scale; For soil damage, one parameter was found that was classified as damaged, namely electrical conductivity. Based on IVI calculation data, Areca catechu as a plant with cultural characteristics is still dominant with a poles rate of 61.35%. It was concluded that there is a potential for degradation of Mamar's function in the production of large ecosystem services.

Combinatorial Maps, a New Framework to Model Agroforestry Systems.

Agroforestry systems are complex due to the diverse interactions between their elements, and they develop over several decades. Existing numerical models focus either on the structure or on the functions of agroforestry systems. However, both of these aspects are necessary, as function influences structure and vice versa. Here, we present a representation of agroforestry systems based on combinatorial maps (which are a type of multidimensional graphs), that allows conceptualizing the structure-function relationship at the agroecosystem scale. We show that such a model can represent the structure of agroforestry systems at multiple scales and its evolution through time. We propose an implementation of this framework, coded in Python, which is available on GitHub. In the future, this framework could be coupled with knowledge based or with biophysical simulation models to predict the production of ecosystem services. The code can also be integrated into visualization tools. Combinatorial maps seem promising to provide a unifying and generic description of agroforestry systems, including their structure, functions, and dynamics, with the possibility to translate to and from other representations.