scholarly journals The Business Side of Ecosystem Services of Soil Systems

Earth ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-34
Author(s):  
Elena Mikhailova ◽  
Christopher Post ◽  
Mark Schlautman ◽  
Gregory Post ◽  
Hamdi Zurqani
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Soil Survey ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
Soil Resources ◽  
Organizational Hierarchy ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Soil Systems ◽  
Wide Range

Current applications of the Ecosystems Services (ES) framework to soils are narrowly defined (e.g., soil-based, pedosphere-based, etc.), and focus on soil properties while treating soil as a closed system. Because soil is an open system, it receives and loses matter across its boundaries within Earth’s spheres (atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, ecosphere, and anthroposphere), which also need to be accounted for in economic analysis. In market economies, the market transforms resources from the Earth’s pedosphere and related spheres into goods and services for societal welfare with non-market institutions mediating human and environmental interactions. These transformations and mediations can result not only in welfare but damages as well. The concept of soil ES and ecosystem disservices (ED) is a human-centered framework, which can be a useful tool in business decision-making. Soil ES (e.g., provisioning, regulation/ maintenance, and cultural) are used to produce goods and services, but the value of these ES and ED are not always accounted for as a part of business decision-making. The objective of this review is to illustrate the monetary valuation of ecosystem services of soil systems (SS) with examples based on the organizational hierarchy of soil systems. The organizational hierarchy of soil systems can be used in economic valuations of soil ES by scale (e.g., world, continent), time (e.g., soil, geologic), qualitative and quantitative degrees of computation (e.g., mental, verbal, descriptive, mathematical, deterministic, stochastic), and degree of complexity (e.g., mechanistic, empirical). Soil survey databases, soil analyses, Soil Data Systems (SDS), and Soil Business Systems (SBS) provide tools and a wide range of quantitative/qualitative data and information to evaluate goods and services for various business applications, but these sources of soil data may be limited in scope due to their static nature. Valuation of soil resources based on soil and non-soil science databases (e.g., National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) databases, etc.) is critically needed to account for these ES/ED as part of business decision-making to provide more sustainable use of soil resources. Since most ecosystems on Earth have been modified by human activity, “soil systems goods and services” (SSGS) may be a more applicable term to describe soil contributions (benefits/damages) to economic activity, compared to a term such as “soil ecosystem goods and services.”

The Business Side of Ecosystem Services of Soil Systems

Earth ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-34
Author(s):  
Elena A. Mikhailova ◽  
Christopher J. Post ◽  
Mark A. Schlautman ◽  
Gregory C. Post ◽  
Hamdi A. Zurqani
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Soil Survey ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
Soil Resources ◽  
Organizational Hierarchy ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Soil Systems ◽  
Wide Range

Current applications of the Ecosystems Services (ES) framework to soils are narrowly defined (e.g., soil-based, pedosphere-based, etc.), and focus on soil properties while treating soil as a closed system. Because soil is an open system, it receives and loses matter across its boundaries within Earth’s spheres (atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, ecosphere, and anthroposphere), which also need to be accounted for in economic analysis. In market economies, the market transforms resources from the Earth’s pedosphere and related spheres into goods and services for societal welfare with non-market institutions mediating human and environmental interactions. These transformations and mediations can result not only in welfare but damages as well. The concept of soil ES and ecosystem disservices (ED) is a human-centered framework, which can be a useful tool in business decision-making. Soil ES (e.g., provisioning, regulation/ maintenance, and cultural) are used to produce goods and services, but the value of these ES and ED are not always accounted for as a part of business decision-making. The objective of this review is to illustrate the monetary valuation of ecosystem services of soil systems (SS) with examples based on the organizational hierarchy of soil systems. The organizational hierarchy of soil systems can be used in economic valuations of soil ES by scale (e.g., world, continent), time (e.g., soil, geologic), qualitative and quantitative degrees of computation (e.g., mental, verbal, descriptive, mathematical, deterministic, stochastic), and degree of complexity (e.g., mechanistic, empirical). Soil survey databases, soil analyses, Soil Data Systems (SDS), and Soil Business Systems (SBS) provide tools and a wide range of quantitative/qualitative data and information to evaluate goods and services for various business applications, but these sources of soil data may be limited in scope due to their static nature. Valuation of soil resources based on soil and non-soil science databases (e.g., National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) databases, etc.) is critically needed to account for these ES/ED as part of business decision-making to provide more sustainable use of soil resources. Since most ecosystems on Earth have been modified by human activity, “soil systems goods and services” (SSGS) may be a more applicable term to describe soil contributions (benefits/damages) to economic activity, compared to a term such as “soil ecosystem goods and services.”

scholarly journals Soil Diversity (Pedodiversity) and Ecosystem Services

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena A. Mikhailova ◽  
Hamdi A. Zurqani ◽  
Christopher J. Post ◽  
Mark A. Schlautman ◽  
Gregory C. Post
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Soil Survey ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Soil Taxonomy ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
Soil Diversity

Soil ecosystem services (ES) (e.g., provisioning, regulation/maintenance, and cultural) and ecosystem disservices (ED) are dependent on soil diversity/pedodiversity (variability of soils), which needs to be accounted for in the economic analysis and business decision-making. The concept of pedodiversity (biotic + abiotic) is highly complex and can be broadly interpreted because it is formed from the interaction of atmospheric diversity (abiotic + biotic), biodiversity (biotic), hydrodiversity (abiotic + biotic), and lithodiversity (abiotic) within ecosphere and anthroposphere. Pedodiversity is influenced by intrinsic (within the soil) and extrinsic (outside soil) factors, which are also relevant to ES/ED. Pedodiversity concepts and measures may need to be adapted to the ES framework and business applications. Currently, there are four main approaches to analyze pedodiversity: taxonomic (diversity of soil classes), genetic (diversity of genetic horizons), parametric (diversity of soil properties), and functional (soil behavior under different uses). The objective of this article is to illustrate the application of pedodiversity concepts and measures to value ES/ED with examples based on the contiguous United States (U.S.), its administrative units, and the systems of soil classification (e.g., U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Taxonomy, Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database). This study is based on a combination of original research and literature review examples. Taxonomic pedodiversity in the contiguous U.S. exhibits high soil diversity, with 11 soil orders, 65 suborders, 317 great groups, 2026 subgroups, and 19,602 series. The ranking of “soil order abundance” (area of each soil order within the U.S.) expressed as the proportion of the total area is: (1) Mollisols (27%), (2) Alfisols (17%), (3) Entisols (14%), (4) Inceptisols and Aridisols (11% each), (5) Spodosols (3%), (6) Vertisols (2%), and (7) Histosols and Andisols (1% each). Taxonomic, genetic, parametric, and functional pedodiversity are an essential context for analyzing, interpreting, and reporting ES/ED within the ES framework. Although each approach can be used separately, three of these approaches (genetic, parametric, and functional) fall within the “umbrella” of taxonomic pedodiversity, which separates soils based on properties important to potential use. Extrinsic factors play a major role in pedodiversity and should be accounted for in ES/ED valuation based on various databases (e.g., National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) databases). Pedodiversity is crucial in identifying soil capacity (pedocapacity) and “hotspots” of ES/ED as part of business decision making to provide more sustainable use of soil resources. Pedodiversity is not a static construct but is highly dynamic, and various human activities (e.g., agriculture, urbanization) can lead to soil degradation and even soil extinction.

scholarly journals Facilitating spatially-explicit assessments of ecosystem service delivery to support land use planning

One Ecosystem ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Vrebos ◽  
Jan Staes ◽  
Steven Broekx ◽  
Leo de Nocker ◽  
Karen Gabriels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Time Investment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Since the early 2000s, there have been substantial efforts to transform the concept of ecosystem services into practice. Spatial assessment tools are being developed to evaluate the impact of spatial planning on a wide range of ecosystem services. However, the actual implementation in decision-making remains limited. To improve implementation, tools that are tailored to local conditions can provide accurate, meaningful information. Instead of a generic and widely-applicable tool, we developed a regional, spatially-explicit tool (ECOPLAN-SE) to analyse the impact of changes in land use on the delivery of 18 ecosystem services in Flanders (Belgium). The tool incorporates ecosystem services relevant to policy-makers and managers and makes use of detailed local data and knowledge. By providing an easy-to-use tool, including the required spatial geodatasets, time investment and the learning curve remain limited for the user. With this tool, constraints to implement ecosystem service assessments in local decision-making are drastically reduced. We believe that region-specific decision support systems, like ECOPLAN-SE, are indispensable intermediates between the conceptual ecosystem service frameworks and the practical implementation in planning processes.

scholarly journals Targeting perennial vegetation in agricultural landscapes for enhancing ecosystem services

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Asbjornsen ◽  
V. Hernandez-Santana ◽  
M. Liebman ◽  
J. Bayala ◽  
J. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Perennial Vegetation ◽  
Hydrologic Regulation ◽  
Pathogen Populations

AbstractOver the past century, agricultural landscapes worldwide have increasingly been managed for the primary purpose of producing food, while other diverse ecosystem services potentially available from these landscapes have often been undervalued and diminished. The incorporation of relatively small amounts of perennial vegetation in strategic locations within agricultural landscapes dominated by annual crops—or perennialization—creates an opportunity for enhancing the provision of a wide range of goods and services to society, such as water purification, hydrologic regulation, pollination services, control of pest and pathogen populations, diverse food and fuel products, and greater resilience to climate change and extreme disturbances, while at the same time improving the sustainability of food production. This paper synthesizes the current scientific theory and evidence for the role of perennial plants in balancing conservation with agricultural production, focusing on the Midwestern USA as a model system, while also drawing comparisons with other climatically diverse regions of the world. Particular emphasis is given to identifying promising opportunities for advancement and critical gaps in our knowledge related to purposefully integrating perennial vegetation into agroecosystems as a management tool for maximizing multiple benefits to society.

scholarly journals Ecosystem services mapping and assessment for policy- and decision-making: Lessons learned from a comparative analysis of European case studies

One Ecosystem ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Geneletti ◽  
Blal Adem Esmail ◽  
Chiara Cortinovis ◽  
Ildikó Arany ◽  
Mario Balzan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Wide Range

This paper analyses and compares a set of case studies on ecosystem services (ES) mapping and assessment with the purpose of formulating lessons learned and recommendations. Fourteen case studies were selected during the EU Horizon 2020 “Coordination and Support Action” ESMERALDA to represent different policy- and decision-making processes throughout the European Union, across a wide range of themes, biomes and scales. The analysis is based on a framework that addresses the key steps of an ES mapping and assessment process, namely policy questions, stakeholder identification and involvement, application of mapping and assessment methods, dissemination and communication and implementation. The analysis revealed that most case studies were policy-orientated or gave explicit suggestions for policy implementation in different contexts, including urban, rural and natural areas. Amongst the findings, the importance of starting stakeholder engagement early in the process was confirmed in order to generate interest and confidence in the project and to increase their willingness to cooperate. Concerning mapping and assessment methods, it was found that the integration of methods and results is essential for providing a comprehensive overview from different perspectives (e.g. social, economic). Finally, lessons learned for effective implementation of ES mapping and assessment results are presented and discussed. Graphical Abstarcat in Fig. 1.

Searching for Herbert Simon

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Gorman ◽  
Donald E. Wynn ◽  
William David Salisbury
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Business Analytics ◽  
Herbert Simon ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Human Decision ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Effective Use

Since Herbert Simon’s seminal work (Simon, 1957) on bounded rationality researchers and practitioners have sought the “holy grail” of computer-supported decision-making. A recent wave of interest in “business analytics” (BA) has elevated interest in data-driven analytical decision making to the forefront. While reporting and prediction via business intelligence (BI) systems has been an important component to business decision making for some time, BA broadens its scope and potential impact in business decision making further by moving the focus to prescription. The authors see BA as the end-to-end process integrating the production through consumption of the data, and making more extensive use of the data through heavily automated, integrated and advanced predictive and prescriptive tools in ways that better support, or replace, the human decision maker. With the advent of “big data”, BA already extends beyond internal databases to external and unstructured data that is publicly produced and consumed data with new analytical techniques to better enable business decision makers in a connected world. BI research in the future will be broader in scope, and the challenge is to make effective use of a wide range of data with varying degrees of structure, and from sources both internal and external to the organization. In this paper, we suggest ways that this broader focus of BA will also affect future BI research streams.

scholarly journals A Review of Libyan Soil Databases for Use within an Ecosystem Services Framework

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamdi A. Zurqani ◽  
Elena A. Mikhailova ◽  
Christopher J. Post ◽  
Mark A. Schlautman ◽  
Azzeddin R. Elhawej
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Market Institutions ◽  
Soil Resources ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Alternative Farming ◽  
Rising Sea Levels ◽  
High Concentrations

Ecosystem services (ESs) are increasingly being used by many countries around the world as a framework for addressing the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This review article of the usability of Libyan soil databases for ESs and SDGs is the first of its kind for North Africa. The objectives of the article are to: describe the available soil resources of Libya in relation to an ES framework; provide examples of the usability of Libyan soil databases for ES applications (e.g., provisioning, Healthy Eating Plate), and describe some of the typical disservices in the country. Desertification, salinization, and limited freshwater resources are the largest challenges (disservices) for agriculture and future development in Libya. Seawater intrusion in coastal areas due to rising sea levels has resulted in high concentrations of salts in irrigation waters, which can lead to low soil productivity. These challenges can be addressed by integrating Libyan soil resources into a market that transforms resources into goods and services to meet human demand in a sustainable manner, with non-market institutions mediating the interactions between humans and the environment. If Libyan soil resources are taken into account by both market and non-market institutions, it will lead to more efficient use of soil resources and also should enable the implementation of innovative strategies, such as integrated farming systems, non-soil-based agricultural production (e.g., hydroponics), and alternative farming practices.

scholarly journals The Identification of Mangrove Ecosystem Services for Decision Making

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 ◽  
pp. 01019
Author(s):  
Suharno ◽  
Emmy Saraswati
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Mangrove Ecosystem ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Goods And Services

Directly or indirectly, goods and services available in natural ecosystems will contribute to human welfare. The human ability to calculate the economic value of ecosystem goods and services is an important thing to do for integrated environmental decision making, sustainable business practices, and land use planning with its geographical scale, and the level of local-social wisdom. For this reason, a comprehensive review and study are needed by analyzing mangrove ecosystem services. Discussions with in-depth descriptive methods are applied to evaluate mangrove ecosystem services specifically, and focus methods and techniques are used for data analysis, and further to understand their potential and disadvantages.

The role of logistics information system in the business-decision process

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-582
Author(s):  
Vlado Galicic ◽  
Ljubica Pilepic
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
Logistics Information System ◽  
Business Efficiency ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Logistics Information ◽  
Efficiency And Productivity

The development of logistics information systems that support decision-making, together with the use of business intelligence, provides assistance and support to logistics managers in the decision process, thereby impacting on the quality of business and productivity. Being better informed and having greater intelligence for decision-making can help to create new value and gain competitive advantage. Logistics business systems in a tourism destination appreciate the importance of information and communication technology in the decision process and seek to develop efficient logistics information systems that will make it possible to take better and more appropriate decisions directly aimed at improving business efficiency and productivity.

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