Conceptualizing Human Well-being and Ecosystem Services in Context of Economic and Social Aspects.
Citation:
SMITH, L. M., KEVIN K. SUMMERS, AND J. CASE. Conceptualizing Human Well-being and Ecosystem Services in Context of Economic and Social Aspects. Presented at ACES: a Community on Ecosystem Services Conference, PHOENIX, AZ, December 06 - 09, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
The US Ecological Services Research Program (ESRP) is seeking a national measure of well-being to link ecosystem services to the constituents of well-being in order to integrate the human condition into environmental protection. This presentation summarizes and integrates information from existing measures of well-being to inform a conceptual framework for linking ecosystem services to well-being in context of environmental, economic, and social factors. The framework introduced will be used to guide for constructing an index of well-being to assess well-being endpoints for ESRP. Results from the qualitative analyses presented provide a foundation for developing a composite index of well-being inclusive of ecosystem services for the U.S. Index construction will utilize objective and subjective data to integrate these modules into a weighted assessment of well-being. This effort supports ESRP LTG 1- Effective Decision Support- By 2014 ESRP will provide innovative, online decision support that offers EPA, Regions, States, local communities and resource managers the ability to integrate, visualize, and maximize use of diverse data, models and tools at multiple scales to generate alternative decision options and to understand the consequences of management decisions on the sustainability of ecosystem services, their value, and human well-being. APG 2014: Develop, test, and implement an index of well-being applicable to multiple ecosystems, stressor scenarios, and ESRP place-based initiatives (NHEERL/GED). APM 346: (2010) Conceptual model of the relationships among economics, sociology, political science, aesthetics and ecosystem services to human well-being in the U.S. (NHEERL/GED – Smith) APM 176 (2011) Report on methods development of an index of well-being and the indicators to be used at local, regional and national scales (Smith & Summers).
Description:
Abstract for presentation at ACES Conference 2010.