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Protecting our life support systems: US federal research and policy on ecosystem services
Citation:
Cox, L., A. Almeter, AND K. Saterson. Protecting our life support systems: US federal research and policy on ecosystem services. Presented at A Community on Ecosystem Services, December 10 - 14, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
In the United States, a broad range of federal entities are conducting research related to ecosystem services, and government agencies at all levels are increasingly interested in measuring the outcomes of proposed policy options in terms of ecosystem service benefits. However, federal agencies would benefit from increased awareness of each other‘s efforts..
Description:
In the United States, a broad range of federal entities are conducting research related to ecosystem services, and government agencies at all levels are increasingly interested in measuring the outcomes of proposed policy options in terms of ecosystem service benefits. However, federal agencies would benefit from increased awareness of each other‘s efforts.. The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Ecosystem Services Research Program recognized and responded to the need with a web-based inventory of federal ecosystem services research and policy programs. The study included the following federal entities that explicitly conduct ecosystem services research: United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of the Interior (DOI), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Transportation (DOT), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that were ongoing or completed between April 2010 and May 2012. This analysis describes the breadth and focus of ecosystem services programs and projects identified. The data was collected primarily through information publicly available on the internet and follow-up correspondence when possible. We coded each entry according to the type of research or policy (e.g. biophysical, valuation), the ecosystems studied (e.g. wetlands, agriculture), the ecosystem services being assessed (e.g. nutrient cycling, flood protection), the inclusion of market development or payment for ecosystem services, and type of products produced (e.g. journal article, model). Our ecosystem services classification builds upon the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment categories, breaking them down into more detail. It discusses the progress, gaps, and opportunities revealed and will increase awareness of current efforts, enhance opportunities for the public and private sector to collaborate on ecosystem serv