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ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AS A NEW STRATEGIC FOCUS FOR USEPA'S ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM
Citation:
LINTHURST, R., I. A. GOODMAN, S. K. MARCY, W. R. MUNNS, K. SATERSON, T. J. CANFIELD, S. J. ISE-LOVELL, AND R. J. BRUINS. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AS A NEW STRATEGIC FOCUS FOR USEPA'S ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM. Presented at U.S. Society for Ecological Economics, New York, NY, June 23 - 27, 2007.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this research is to develop methods and indicators that are useful for evaluating the condition of aquatic communities, for assessing the restoration of aquatic communities in response to mitigation and best management practices, and for determining the exposure of aquatic communities to different classes of stressors (i.e., pesticides, sedimentation, habitat alteration).
Description:
The USEPA's Office of Research and Development has made ecosystem services the new strategic focus for its ecological research program (ERP). Recognizing that the protection and enhancement of ecosystem services can help maintain and improve human health, economic vitality and overall well-being, the ERP will develop tools that enable planners and decision-makers at local, regional and national levels to better understand how society's choices affect the provision of these services. The ERP will use a tripartite approach to address research needs on ecosystem services. First, a set of place-based studies, conducted at watershed or regional scales, will serve as test-beds for development of analysis methods and web-based, decision-support tools. Alternative-future scenarios, reflecting local, national or global drivers of change, will be used to examine potential ecological, human-health, and economic outcomes for these locations. Quantifying the services provided by wetland ecosystems will be a second programmatic emphasis; understanding pollutant impacts on ecosystem services will be a third. These emphases will be supported by core research on ecosystem processes, modeling, and restoration. The Office of Research and Development will form partnerships with economists and health scientists, within and outside EPA, to develop approaches for quantifying services and to conduct research on valuation and restoration approaches that adequately describe the trade-offs involved. This research will be supported by a training program to better inform EPA scientists on key concepts related to ecosystem services and their valuation.