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Perschke MJ, Harris LR, Sink KJ, Lombard AT. Ecological Infrastructure as a framework for mapping ecosystem services for place-based conservation and management. J Nat Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2023.126389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
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2
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Economic value of three grassland ecosystem services when managed at the regional and farm scale. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4194. [PMID: 35264720 PMCID: PMC8907267 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08198-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Grasslands cover a major share of the world’s agricultural land and their management influences ecosystem services. Spatially targeted policy instruments can increase the provision of ecosystem services by exploiting how they respond to spatial differences in environmental characteristics such as altitude, slope, or soil quality. However, most policy instruments focus on individual farms, where spatial differences are small. Here we assess the economic value of three grassland ecosystem services (i.e., forage provision, carbon sequestration, and habitat maintenance) and its variability in a Swiss region of 791 km2 that consists of 19,000 farmland parcels when managed at the regional and farm scale, respectively. Our spatially explicit bio-economic simulation approach combines biophysical information on grassland ecosystem services and their economic values. We find that in our case study region, spatial targeting on a regional scale management increases the economic value of ecosystem services by 45% compared to targeting at farm scale. We also find that the heterogeneity of economic values coming from prices and willingness to pay estimates is higher than the economic gains from spatial targeting that make use of the spatial difference in environmental characteristics. This implies that heterogeneity in prices and/or societal demand of these three ecosystem services is more important for grassland management than spatial heterogeneity in our case study region. The here applied framework allows for an ex-ante assessment of economic gains from spatial targeting and thus provides basic information for the implementation of incentive mechanisms addressing the nexus of food production and ecosystem service provision in grasslands.
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Neuendorf F, Thiele J, Albert C, von Haaren C. Uncertainties in land use data may have substantial effects on environmental planning recommendations: A plea for careful consideration. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260302. [PMID: 34818356 PMCID: PMC8612552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A key challenge of environmental planning is to craft recommendations for future sustainable spatial development amid ubiquitous uncertainties. This paper aims to explore how different data uncertainties, usually unknown to the planner, may influence environmental planning recommendations. We apply a case study-based approach, in which we provide three illustrative examples of how data with different kinds and levels of uncertainty affect environmental assessments and, by that, the decision-support provided by environmental planning. The cases stem from different spatial levels in Germany and consider 'Regional soil-based climate change mitigation' in the region of Hannover, 'State-wide habitat conservation siting' in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, and 'National renewable energy planning'. Based on the three examples, we discuss implications for planning practice and derive recommendations for further research. The three cases studies illustrate the substantial effects of data uncertainty on environmental assessments and planning recommendations derived from those results. We identify four problem constellations of dealing with data uncertainty in environmental planning that relate to the severeness of uncertainty impacts, the responsibility of the decision-maker, and the kinds of impacts that wrong decisions may have. We close with recommendations for further research, among others to develop robust and pragmatic methods for identifying the uncertainty levels in environmental data and assessment results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Neuendorf
- Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Julia Thiele
- Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Christian Albert
- Institute of Geography, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Christina von Haaren
- Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
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Bethwell C, Burkhard B, Daedlow K, Sattler C, Reckling M, Zander P. Towards an enhanced indication of provisioning ecosystem services in agro-ecosystems. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:269. [PMID: 33988773 PMCID: PMC8121745 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-08816-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Provisioning ecosystem services play a vital role in sustaining human well-being. Agro-ecosystems contribute a significant share of these services, besides food and fodder and also fuel and fibre as well as regulating and cultural ecosystem services. Until now, the indication of provisioning ecosystem services of agro-ecosystems has been based almost only on yield numbers of agricultural products. Such an indication is problematic due to several reasons which include a disregard of the role of significant anthropogenic contributions to ecosystem service co-generation, external environmental effects and strong dependence on site conditions. We argue for an enhanced indication of provisioning ecosystem services that considers multiple aspects of their delivery. The conceptual base for such an indication has been made by prior publications which have been reviewed. Relevant points were taken up in this article and condensed into a conceptual model in order to develop a more holistic and expanded set of indictors, which was then exemplarily applied and tested in three case studies in Germany. The case studies represent different natural conditions, and the indicator set application showed that ecosystem services (ES) flow-in terms of output alone-does not characterise agro-ecosystems sufficiently. The proposed aspects of provisioning ecosystem services can give a fuller picture, for example, by input-output relationships, as it is possible by just using single indicators. Uncertainties as well as pros and cons of such an approach are elaborated. Finally, recommendations for an enhanced indication of provisioning ecosystem services in agro-ecosystems that can help to integrate agricultural principles with ideas of sustainability and site-specific land use are derived.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Bethwell
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany.
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Benjamin Burkhard
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute of Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology, Schneiderberg 50, 30167, Hannover, Germany
| | - Katrin Daedlow
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
- Division of Agriculture and Food Policy, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Sattler
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Moritz Reckling
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Peter Zander
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
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5
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Refining the Tiered Approach for Mapping and Assessing Ecosystem Services at the Local Scale: A Case Study in a Rural Landscape in Northern Germany. LAND 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/land9100348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Spatially explicit assessments of ecosystem services (ES) potentials are a key component in supporting a sustainable land use management. The ES matrix method is a commonly used approach as it allows for a comparably fast, comprehensible and accessible ES assessment. As it is often based on land use/land cover data (LULC) with no spatial variability, a main critique is that the results fail to assess spatial variability at landscape levels, which limits the reliability of the outputs for spatial planning applications. By using the case study area of Bornhöved in northern Germany, we analyzed three assessment methods that combine expert judgments, LULC data with different resolutions and ecosystem condition indicators, in order to find the required resolution and data for ES assessment and mapping at a local scale. To quantify map discrepancies, we used the structural similarity index (SSIM) and analyzed the differences in local mean, variance and covariance between the maps. We found that using different spatial resolutions led to a relatively small difference in the outcomes, in which regulation and maintenance services are more affected than the other services categories. For most regulation, maintenance and cultural ES, our results indicate that assessments based only on LULC proxies are not suitable for a local quantitative assessment of ES, as they cannot sufficiently cover the spatial heterogeneity of ES capacities that arise from different ecosystem conditions.
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Van der Biest K, Meire P, Schellekens T, D'hondt B, Bonte D, Vanagt T, Ysebaert T. Aligning biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services in spatial planning: Focus on ecosystem processes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 712:136350. [PMID: 32050402 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Although the consideration of socio-economic demands with biodiversity conservation is now high on the environmental policy agenda, it is not yet standard practice in spatial planning. This is argued to be related, among others, to a lack of awareness among stakeholders and practitioners of the underpinning role of ecosystem functioning and biodiversity to support human well-being. Meanwhile, there is mounting critique on the absolute focus of biodiversity conservation on static properties such as species and habitats. The establishment of more ecologically sensible objectives that include ecosystem processes besides species and habitats is put forward as a more effective way of environmental conservation. Methodological approaches increasingly consider ecosystem processes. However, the processes that are included mostly relate to aspects of biodiversity such as dispersal and productivity, and rarely do they include abiotic mechanisms that underlie biodiversity. We here report on the development of a method that integrates two principles which we identify as key to advance the integration of ecosystem services with biodiversity conservation in planning practice: (1) consider the variety of ecosystem processes, biotic as well as abiotic, that support biodiversity and ecosystem services, and (2) link the ecosystem processes to biodiversity and to socio-economic benefits to identify the common ground between seemingly conflicting objectives. The methodology uses a stepwise approach and is based on an extensive review of available knowledge on ecosystem functioning, expert consultation and stakeholder involvement. We illustrate how the methodology supports the setting of strategic goals to accomplish a healthy coastal ecosystem in Belgium, and exemplify how this may affect spatial plans. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how including processes opens opportunities to align biodiversity and ecosystem services and how this increases chances to provide long-term benefits for biodiversity and human well-being. The paper may provide inspiration to advance current spatial planning approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrien Van der Biest
- Ecosystem Management Research Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Patrick Meire
- Ecosystem Management Research Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | | | - Bram D'hondt
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dries Bonte
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Tom Ysebaert
- Ecosystem Management Research Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University & Research, Yerseke, Netherlands; NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, Yerseke, Netherlands
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Le Clec'h S, Finger R, Buchmann N, Gosal AS, Hörtnagl L, Huguenin-Elie O, Jeanneret P, Lüscher A, Schneider MK, Huber R. Assessment of spatial variability of multiple ecosystem services in grasslands of different intensities. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 251:109372. [PMID: 31550606 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Grasslands provide multiple Ecosystem Services (ES) such as forage provision, carbon sequestration or habitat provision. Knowledge about the trade-offs between these ES is of great importance for grassland management. Yet, the outcome of different management strategies on ES provision is highly uncertain due to spatial variability. We aim to characterize the provision (level and spatial variability) of grassland ES under various management strategies. To do so, we combine empirical data for multiple ES with spatially explicit census data on land use intensities. We analyzed the variations of five ES (forage provision, climate regulation, pollination, biodiversity conservation and outdoor recreation) using data from biodiversity fieldwork, experimental plots for carbon as well as social network data from Flickr. These data were used to calculate the distribution of modelled individual and multiple ES values from different grassland management types in a Swiss case study region using spatial explicit information for 17,383 grassland parcels. Our results show that (1) management regime and intensity levels play an important role in ES provision but their impact depends on the ES. In general, extensive management, especially in pastures, favors all ES but forage provision, whereas intensive management favors only forage provision and outdoor recreation; (2) ES potential provision varies between parcels under the same management due to the influence of environmental drivers, related to topography and landscape structure; (3) there is a trade-offs between forage provision and other ES at the cantonal level but a synergy between forage provision and biodiversity conservation within the grassland categories, due to the negative impact of elevation on both ES. Information about multiple ES provision is key to support effective agri-environmental measures and information about the spatial variability can prevent uncertain outputs of decision-making processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solen Le Clec'h
- ETH Zurich, Agricultural Economics and Policy, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland; Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Robert Finger
- ETH Zurich, Agricultural Economics and Policy, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nina Buchmann
- ETH Zurich, Department of Environmental Systems Sciences, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Lukas Hörtnagl
- ETH Zurich, Department of Environmental Systems Sciences, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Andreas Lüscher
- Agroscope, Forage Production and Grassland Systems, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manuel K Schneider
- Agroscope, Forage Production and Grassland Systems, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert Huber
- ETH Zurich, Agricultural Economics and Policy, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
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Maebe L, Claessens H, Dufrêne M. The critical role of abiotic factors and human activities in the supply of ecosystem services in the ES matrix. ONE ECOSYSTEM 2019. [DOI: 10.3897/oneeco.4.e34769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In Western Europe, ecosystems have been shaped to maximise the supply of one specific biomass provisioning ecosystem service (ES), such as food or timber, with detrimental impacts on other ES. The ES approach has therefore been established to better understand the multiple interactions between human society and ecosystems. A variety of methods have been developed to assess ES and their relationships, for instance the ES matrix model based on land cover classes. This popular, flexible and simple method allows combining different data sources and easily comparing ES. However, in general, this method poorly takes into account landscape heterogeneity while abiotic factors and human activities seem to play an important role in ES supply. The objective of this paper is twofold: (1) to extent the methodology based on the ES matrix model by including abiotic factors and human activities and (2) to test the impacts of these two types of factors on ES supply and their relationships.
The assessment focused on the capacity of the forest to supply six ES depending on six types of soil ranging from productive soils to more constraining or less productive soils (i.e. abiotic factors) and two contrasting forest management strategies (i.e. human activities). This amended ES matrix was applied on one hand, to map the supply of ES and their relationships in four municipalities in the Ardenne ecoregion (Southern Belgium) and on the other hand, to investigate the impacts of three scenarios (i.e. three different management strategies) on ES supply and their relationships.
The amended ES matrix shows large differences in ES supply between the two forest management strategies on the more constraining and less productive soils, creating differences in the spatial pattern of ES. The changes in ES supply amongst the three scenarios and the current supply were quantified to identify the best management options.
In conclusion, one particular forest is not like another in terms of ES supply and their relationships. To capture this heterogeneity, we propose an amended ES matrix including abiotic factors and human activities. The maps, based on this matrix, allow identifying the hotspots (i.e. high capacity to supply different ES) and coldspots (i.e. low capacity to supply different ES or strong trade-offs between provisioning ES and regulating/cultural ES). Forest management should be adapted to the abiotic conditions, in particular in the coldspots, to ensure a more balanced supply of ES.
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Urban Ecosystem Services Quantification through Remote Sensing Approach: A Systematic Review. ENVIRONMENTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/environments6050051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Urban ecosystem services (UES) is an essential approach to the development of sustainable cities and must be incorporated into urban planning to be able to improve humans’ life quality. This paper aimed to identify remote sensing (RS) data/techniques used in the literature in five years (2013–2017) for UES investigation and to analyze the similarity between them. For this purpose, we used the Scopus database of scientific journals, and a set of appropriate filters were applied. A total of 44 studies were selected, being 93.18% of them located in the Northern Hemisphere, mostly in Europe. The most common dataset used was the secondary data, followed by the Landsat family products. Land use and land cover (LULC) was the most common approach utilized, succeeded by radiometric indexes and band related. All four main classes (provision, regulation, supporting, and cultural) of ecosystem services (ES) were identified in the reviewed papers, wherein regulating services were the most popular modality mentioned. Seven different groups were established as having 100% of similarity between methods and ES results. Therefore, RS is identified in the literature as an important technique to reach this goal. However, we highlight the lack of studies in the southern hemisphere.
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Scale dependence and parameter sensitivity of the EPIC model in the agro-pastoral transitional zone of north China. Ecol Modell 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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11
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Contribution of Traditional Farming to Ecosystem Services Provision: Case Studies from Slovakia. LAND 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/land7020074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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12
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Nasta P, Palladino M, Ursino N, Saracino A, Sommella A, Romano N. Assessing long-term impact of land-use change on hydrological ecosystem functions in a Mediterranean upland agro-forestry catchment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 605-606:1070-1082. [PMID: 28715855 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
During the second half of the 20th century farming systems in hilly and mountainous areas of Mediterranean Europe were progressively abandoned and the forest cover subsequently re-expanded. This paper investigates the environmental impacts of land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes on hydrological ecosystem functions (HEFs) in the Upper Alento River Catchment (UARC) in southern Italy. We document the human-driven post-war landscape in 1955 with its maximum expansion of pasture and crops. By 1998 forest cover had doubled and cropland had roughly halved due to decades of land abandonment and reduction in human pressure. In 2015 secondary forests occupied about 70% of the catchment and orchards about 20%. The 1998 land-use scenario was implemented within the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) model which was calibrated and validated by direct water yield measurements recorded in the period 1995-2004 in the water reservoir delimited by an earth-dam located at the UARC outlet. Numerical simulations, assumed under "steady" climate conditions, offer "pseudo-realistic" scenarios that help interpret differences in water budget and sediment transport when the 1998 land-use scenario is compared to those of 1955 and 2015. With reference to funding opportunities offered by the European Union in the recent decades, this study provides some practical guidance on the impact of cropland reconversion on HEFs and on measures to mitigate soil erosion in this Mediterranean area. Viewed from the demand-side perspective, natural re-expansion of forest and afforestation reduce water yield and increase actual evapotranspiration. However, our modeling results are framed also within a supply-side approach examining the sensitivity of water yield to precipitation characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Nasta
- Dept. Agricultural Sciences, AFBE Division, University of Napoli Federico II, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Mario Palladino
- Dept. Agricultural Sciences, AFBE Division, University of Napoli Federico II, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Saracino
- Dept. Agricultural Sciences, BIPAF Division, University of Napoli Federico II, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Angelo Sommella
- Dept. Agricultural Sciences, AFBE Division, University of Napoli Federico II, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Nunzio Romano
- Dept. Agricultural Sciences, AFBE Division, University of Napoli Federico II, Portici, Naples, Italy.
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13
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Locating Sustainability Issues: Identification of Ecological Vulnerability in Mainland China’s Mega-Regions. SUSTAINABILITY 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/su9071179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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14
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Boerema A, Rebelo AJ, Bodi MB, Esler KJ, Meire P. Are ecosystem services adequately quantified? J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Annelies Boerema
- Department of Biology; Ecosystem Management Research Group (ECOBE); University of Antwerp; Universiteitsplein 1C Wilrijk 2610 Belgium
| | - Alanna J. Rebelo
- Department of Biology; Ecosystem Management Research Group (ECOBE); University of Antwerp; Universiteitsplein 1C Wilrijk 2610 Belgium
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology; Stellenbosch University; JS Marais Building, Victoria Street 7600 Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Merche B. Bodi
- Department of Biology; Ecosystem Management Research Group (ECOBE); University of Antwerp; Universiteitsplein 1C Wilrijk 2610 Belgium
| | - Karen J. Esler
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology; Stellenbosch University; JS Marais Building, Victoria Street 7600 Stellenbosch South Africa
- Centre for Invasion Biology (C.I.B); Private Bag X01, Matieland 7602 Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Patrick Meire
- Department of Biology; Ecosystem Management Research Group (ECOBE); University of Antwerp; Universiteitsplein 1C Wilrijk 2610 Belgium
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Landuyt D, Broekx S, Engelen G, Uljee I, Van der Meulen M, Goethals PLM. The importance of uncertainties in scenario analyses--A study on future ecosystem service delivery in Flanders. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 553:504-518. [PMID: 26930321 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Land use is rapidly changing and is significantly affecting ecosystem service delivery all around the world. The socio-economic context and political choices largely determine land use change. This land use change, driven by socio-economic pressures, will impact diverse elements of the environment including, for example, air quality, soil properties, water infiltration and food and wood production, impacts that can be linked to the provisioning of ecosystem services. To gain more insight into the effects of alternative socio-economic developments on ecosystem service delivery, land use change models are being coupled to ecosystem service delivery models to perform scenario analyses. Although the uncertainty of the results of these kind of scenario analyses are generally far from negligible, studies rarely take them into account. In this study, a cellular automaton land use change model is coupled to Bayesian belief network ecosystem service delivery models to facilitate the study of error propagation in scenario analysis. The proposed approach is applied to model the impact of alternative socio-economic developments on ecosystem service delivery in Flanders, Belgium and to assess the impact of land use allocation uncertainty on the uncertainty associated to future ecosystem service delivery. Results suggest that taking into account uncertainties may have an effect on policy recommendations that come out of the scenario analysis. However, in this study, uncertainties in the applied ecosystem service models were dominant, reducing the importance of accounting for land use allocation uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dries Landuyt
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Jozef Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Unit Environmental Modelling, Flemish Institute For Technological Research, Boeretang 200, B-2240 Mol, Belgium.
| | - Steven Broekx
- Unit Environmental Modelling, Flemish Institute For Technological Research, Boeretang 200, B-2240 Mol, Belgium
| | - Guy Engelen
- Unit Environmental Modelling, Flemish Institute For Technological Research, Boeretang 200, B-2240 Mol, Belgium
| | - Inge Uljee
- Unit Environmental Modelling, Flemish Institute For Technological Research, Boeretang 200, B-2240 Mol, Belgium
| | - Maarten Van der Meulen
- Unit Environmental Modelling, Flemish Institute For Technological Research, Boeretang 200, B-2240 Mol, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Jozef Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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16
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The Impact of Land Cover Change on Ecosystem Service Values in Urban Agglomerations along the Coast of the Bohai Rim, China. SUSTAINABILITY 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/su70810365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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