scholarly journals Ecosystem Services: The Key to Human Well-Being

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 480
Author(s):  
Alessandro Paletto ◽  
Sara Favargiotti
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Ecosystem Assessment

Since the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), the global interest for “ecosystem services” has rapidly grown in scientific studies and policy makers’ agenda [...]

scholarly journals Measuring conditions and trends in ecosystem services at multiple scales: the Southern African Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (SA f MA) experience

2005 ◽  
Vol 360 (1454) ◽  
pp. 425-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.S van Jaarsveld ◽  
R Biggs ◽  
R.J Scholes ◽  
E Bohensky ◽  
B Reyers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ◽  
Fuel Wood ◽  
Ecosystem Assessment ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Land Use Decisions ◽  
High Infant Mortality

The Southern African Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (SA f MA) evaluated the relationships between ecosystem services and human well-being at multiple scales, ranging from local through to sub-continental. Trends in ecosystem services (fresh water, food, fuel-wood, cultural and biodiversity) over the period 1990–2000 were mixed across scales. Freshwater resources appear strained across the continent with large numbers of people not securing adequate supplies, especially of good quality water. This translates to high infant mortality patterns across the region. In some areas, the use of water resources for irrigated agriculture and urban–industrial expansion is taking place at considerable cost to the quality and quantity of freshwater available to ecosystems and for domestic use. Staple cereal production across the region has increased but was outstripped by population growth while protein malnutrition is on the rise. The much-anticipated wood-fuel crisis on the subcontinent has not materialized but some areas are experiencing shortages while numerous others remain vulnerable. Cultural benefits of biodiversity are considerable, though hard to quantify or track over time. Biodiversity resources remain at reasonable levels, but are declining faster than reflected in species extinction rates and appear highly sensitive to land-use decisions. The SA f MA sub-global assessment provided an opportunity to experiment with innovative ways to assess ecosystem services including the use of supply–demand surfaces, service sources and sink areas, priority areas for service provision, service ‘hotspots’ and trade-off assessments.

Challenges in the development of the geodiversity concept

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Brilha
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Well Being ◽  
University Education ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Nature Play ◽  
Development Goals

<p>The concept of geodiversity, despite being in use for almost 30 years, still has little impact on society. It is not easy to explain the reason for this dissociation, considering that the elements that constitute geodiversity are intrinsically part of nature, play an essential role in ecosystem services and, consequently, in human well-being.</p><p>During the last decade we have seen a great development in the interest of the geoscientific community in this subject, represented by the increase in the publication of papers and doctoral and master theses all over the world. One of the main challenges is now to transpose all this scientific knowledge into society. Obviously, theoretical and conceptual discussions about geodiversity are an integral part of science and must continue, but if we want that society recognizes the importance and value of geodiversity, we must be able to demonstrate clearly how geodiversity can help to solve some of the problems we face today.</p><p>Among other priorities, the geoscientific community has to be able to demonstrate in an structured way:</p><ul><li>The importance of geodiversity in implementing nature conservation actions and its direct relationship with biodiversity;</li> <li><span>The contribution of geodiversity for ecosystems restoration and its accounting as part of natural capital;</span></li> <li><span>The need to quantify the role of geodiversity in ecosystem services;</span></li> <li><span>The urgency of make environmental impact assessments including all possible effects that may affect geodiversity elements and processes;</span></li> <li><span>The importance of integrate the concept of geodiversity in pre-university education curricula;</span></li> <li><span>That the information and environmental interpretation provided to visitors of protected areas and other conservation areas should always include geodiversity.</span></li> </ul><p>Once the importance of geodiversity is fully recognized by policy-makers, managers, and the society in general, the fulfilment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals will be for sure closer than it is today.</p>

scholarly journals Calculating Cultural Ecosystem Services as part of Greenspace Management?

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 16-21
Author(s):  
Jocelyn M. Gavitt ◽  
Richard C. Smardon
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Cultural Services ◽  
Ecosystem Assessment ◽  
Upstate New York ◽  
The Us ◽  
Water Based ◽  
Science And Education

Lake related greenspace provides many benefits to residents and visitors, which often get unnoticed. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Project (2005) proposed the valuation of ecosystem services, defined as regulatory, provisional, ecosystem support, providing cultural services from natural resources, free of charge. The challenge here is: How can we use cultural ecosystem services derived from scenic landscapes for Greenspace management and assessment? Cultural ecosystem services received international recognition as part of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Project (2005). Also, ecosystems services encompass regulatory, provisional and ecosystem support. For this article, we are particularly concerned with cultural services, which include recreation, science and education, spiritual/historical as well as aesthetic functions. De Groot (2002) and Farber (2006) provided descriptions of cultural Ecosystem services. De Groot (2002) describes Information functions as comprising of; aesthetic information, recreation, cultural-artistic information and spiritual/historical information. Farber (2005) description of cultural services includes; aesthetic, recreation, science/education, and spiritual/historical functions. This article examines the existing literature with the objective of assessing ecosystem cultural services related to water-based scenic landscape resources and applies it to an Upstate New York lake landscape. Careful accounting of greenspace ecosystem services is presented as applied to lakeshore residents, village residents and town/watershed residents and other lake greenspace users utilizing the US Environmental Protection Agency’s user benefit calculations to yield over 10.6 million dollars of benefits per year (Smardon 2018).

scholarly journals Science for managing ecosystem services: Beyond the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (5) ◽  
pp. 1305-1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Carpenter ◽  
H. A. Mooney ◽  
J. Agard ◽  
D. Capistrano ◽  
R. S. DeFries ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ◽  
Ecosystem Assessment

Creating Wild Capital from the Ecosystem Services Model

Wild Capital ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 12-37
Author(s):  
Barbara K. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Endangered Species Act ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Opportunity Costs ◽  
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
A Value

By failing to assign nature value in our current Anthropocene, the opportunity costs of diminishing biodiversity are not recognized in the marketplace, leading to significant negative consequences for both nature and humanity. Polluting water, destroying habitats, or exterminating species should each lessen nature’s value, but if nature has never been assigned a value, that loss is not recognized and development becomes the default. The words “wild capital” remind us that nature should be viewed as an asset like any other, and that in doing so we are better equipped to appreciate its long-term worth. Since the ecosystem services model (ES) ties together the ecological, social, and economic needs of human well-being, it is well situated to assign nature value and from that make a case for nature as natural capital. To assist in policy decisions, ES has offered a path based on the language of economics, making it appealing to economists, while to conservationists, it has turned an argument about the negative effects of development on wildlife into a more fruitful dialogue about how beneficial conservation is for human well-being. ES is also compatible with efforts at sustainability and the goals of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

scholarly journals Going Beyond the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: An Index System of Human Dependence on Ecosystem Services

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. e64581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wu Yang ◽  
Thomas Dietz ◽  
Wei Liu ◽  
Junyan Luo ◽  
Jianguo Liu
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Index System ◽  
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ◽  
Ecosystem Assessment

scholarly journals Assessing Ecosystem Services in Mangroves: Insights from São Tomé Island (Central Africa)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filipa Afonso ◽  
Pedro M. Félix ◽  
Paula Chainho ◽  
Joshua A. Heumüller ◽  
Ricardo F. de Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
High Variability ◽  
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ◽  
Ecosystem Assessment ◽  
Human Wellbeing ◽  
Coastal Systems ◽  
Management Plans

Mangroves are some of the most productive coastal systems on the planet and provide valuable ecosystem services (ES). They are especially important in threatened ecosystems and developing countries, where they are likely to have direct impacts on local communities. An approach based on ES allows assessing ecosystems across the domains of ecology, sociology and economy. This study focused on the evaluation of ES in mangroves and started by creating a comprehensive global list of mangrove ES based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. These services were then quantified using the best available indicators for mangrove systems. The mangroves of Diogo Nunes, São João dos Angolares and Malanza, located in the São Tomé Island, were used to illustrate the challenges in applying ES indicators in this type of ecosystems. The obtained results confirmed that mangroves can provide important and diverse services. However, the high variability among mangrove systems affects their ability to deliver ES, requiring caution for the extrapolation across regions. This assessment emphasizes how the ES framework can be used as a tool to develop management plans that integrate conservation goals and human wellbeing.

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