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Key attributes of ecological production functions
Citation:
Bruins, Randy, Tim Canfield, C. Duke, L. Kapustka, A. Nahlik, AND R. Schäfer. Key attributes of ecological production functions. ACES (A Community on Ecosystem Services), Jacksonville, FL, December 05 - 09, 2016.
Impact/Purpose:
The coauthors Compose a working group from a Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry - Ecological Society of America joint Pellston workshop on ecosystem services. This presentation summarizes working group findings on the importance of ecological production functions to the assessment of ecosystem services (especially in the context of ecological risk assessment).
Description:
Ecological production functions (EPFs) link ecosystems, stressors, and management actions to ecosystem service (ES) production. Though essential for improving environmental management, relatively little attention has been directed toward the characteristics of EPFs. EPFs may be defined as usable expressions (i.e., models) of the processes by which ecosystems produce ecosystem services, often including external influences on those processes. We identify key attributes of EPFs and discuss both actual and idealized examples of their use to inform decision-making. Whenever possible, EPFs should estimate final, rather than intermediate, ESs. Although various types of EPFs have been developed, we suggest that EPFs are more useful for decision-making if they quantify ES outcomes, respond to ecosystem condition, respond to stressor levels or management scenarios, reflect ecological complexity, rely on data with broad coverage, have been shown to perform well, are practical to use, and are open and transparent. We illustrate how improved conceptual and quantitative EPFs, representing the links between stressors and multiple ES endpoints, could be used to improve ES inclusion in risk assessment. The biggest challenges to implementing ESs inclusion are limited datasets that are easily adapted for use in modeling EPFs and generally poor understanding of linkages among ecological components and the processes that ultimately deliver the ESs. We conclude by advocating for the incorporation into EPFs of added ecological complexity and greater ability to represent the trade-offs among ESs.
