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A systematic approach for quantifying final ecosystems services at regional and national scales
Citation:
LANDERS, D. H., F. Kinast, P. L. RINGOLD, AND A. R. OLSEN. A systematic approach for quantifying final ecosystems services at regional and national scales. Presented at ACES II Ecosystem Services Conference, Chandler, AZ, December 06 - 09, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
Since the development of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005), there have been a myriad of proposals regarding how to apply ecosystem services concepts in routine, systematic ways to support standards, markets and assessments of ecosystems services.
Description:
Since the development of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005), there have been a myriad of proposals regarding how to apply ecosystem services concepts in routine, systematic ways to support standards, markets and assessments of ecosystems services. The key question being addressed by multiple groups world-wide is “what where and when do we measure ecosystem service in order to facilitate quantification and, ultimately, human well being in space and time?” Quantification is the key issue relating to natural science, while human well being is the key issue relating to social/economic science. It is in the solutions to this quantification question that the nexus of modeling, monitoring, mapping and decision science must be integrated into a single focused effort. Key issues to be resolved include identifying the sampling units and the indicators, determining how they are arrayed over the landscape, and identifying what measurements to make relating to the ecosystem services. With current technology, it is doubtful that a census of all ecosystem services can be provided at regional to national scales. Therefore, two major pillars of research are needed (a) the capacity to quantitatively link biophysical features and patterns to human well being , and (b) probability approaches to sampling and estimation of the ecosystem services within defined reporting units, consisting of a finite number of sampling units. The concept of Final Ecosystem Services (FES), those services important to humans and requiring little further explanation, appears to be an emerging and unifying concept that directly resonates with the general public and, when approached from the perspective of the user of particular ecosystem categories, cleanly avoids the dilemma of double counting. Leading from FES it is possible to identify key user groups for FES derived from a specific ecosystem category (e.g. streams, wetlands, forests, etc.) and to select those indicators of FES that are most robust, informative and economical. One fundamental requirement for applying this approach is to make sure terms are clearly defined and that methods are clearly articulated and systematically followed.