Mapping ecosystem service value in Germany

Currently, a national TEEB study is being conducted in Germany. However, it lacks an overall estimation of ecosystem service value (ESV) at the national level. In this paper, we estimate the ESV in Germany based on the national land cover data and the unit value transfer method and examine the relationships between ESV and gross domestic product (GDP). The results indicate that the total ESV amounts to 248,895 million US$/yr, accounting for 7.91% of the sum of ESV and GDP. Cropland with 111,704 million US$/yr makes the largest contribution to the total ESV, and the second largest state, Lower Saxony, has the greatest ESV of 60,346 million US$/yr. In addition, a spatial pattern that distinguishes four regions in terms of the relationship between ESV and GDP at the district level is identified. This study illustrates the overall status of ecosystem services at the current point of time in Germany, raises public awareness about the magnitude of these services relative to other services captured in GDP, and implies suggestions for future research and ecological policy.     

Temporal changes in giant panda habitat connectivity across boundaries of Wolong Nature Reserve, China.

Global biodiversity loss is largely driven by human activities such as the conversion of natural to human-dominated landscapes. A popular approach to mitigating land cover change is the designation of protected areas (e.g., nature reserves). Nature reserves are traditionally perceived as strongholds of biodiversity conservation. However, many reserves are affected by land cover changes not only within their boundaries, but also in their surrounding areas. This study analyzed the changes in habitat for the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) inside Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China, and in a 3-km buffer area outside its boundaries, through a time series of classified satellite imagery and field observations. Habitat connectivity between the inside and the outside of the reserve diminished between 1965 and 2001 because panda habitat was steadily lost both inside and outside the reserve. However, habitat connectivity slightly increased between 1997 and 2001 due to the stabilization of some panda habitat inside and outside the reserve. This stabilization most likely occurred as a response to changes in socioeconomic activities (e.g., shifts from agricultural to nonagricultural economies). Recently implemented government policies could further mitigate the impacts of land cover change on panda habitat. The results suggest that Wolong Nature Reserve, and perhaps other nature reserves in other parts of the world, cannot be managed as an isolated entity because habitat connectivity declines with land cover changes outside the reserve even if the area inside the reserve is well protected. The findings and approaches presented in this paper may also have important implications for the management of other nature reserves across the world.     

我国丹顶鹤自然保护区网络设计

针对原有丹顶鹤保护区规划缺乏系统设计思想,保护区面临严重的生境安全这一问题,根据维持生态系统地域完整性和生态过程完整性的原则,采用迭代法和整数规划2种方法,以高、中适宜性湿地面积占各自湿地类型总面积70%和60%为保护目标,研究了丹顶鹤自然保护区的网络设计,提出了丹顶鹤自然保护区网络的设计方案。     

Protecting biodiversity and economic returns in resource-rich tropical forests

In pursuit of socioeconomic development, many countries are expanding oil and mineral extraction into tropical forests. These activities seed access to remote, biologically rich areas, thereby endangering global biodiversity. We examined how protection of biodiversity and economic revenues can be balanced in biologically valuable regions. Using spatial data on oil profits and predicted species and ecosystem extents, we optimized the protection of 741 terrestrial species and 20 ecosystems of the Ecuadorian Amazon across a range of opportunity costs (i.e., sacrifices of extractive profit). We also applied spatial statistics to remotely sensed, historic deforestation data to focus the optimization on areas most threatened by imminent forest loss. Giving up 5% of a year's oil profits (US$221 million) allowed for a protected area network that retained an average of 65% of the extent of each species and ecosystem. This performance far exceeded that of the network produced by simple optimization for land area (which required a sacrifice of approximately 40% of annual oil profits [US$1.7 billion]) and used only marginally less land to achieve equivalent levels of ecological protection. We identified what we call emergency conservation targets: regions that are essential components of a cost-effective conservation reserve network but at imminent risk of destruction, thus requiring urgent and effective protection. Governments can use our methods when evaluating extractive-led development options to responsibly manage the associated ecological and economic trade-offs and protect natural capital.     

Conservation value of small reserves

The importance of large reserves has been long maintained in the scientific literature, often leading to dismissal of the conservation potential of small reserves. However, over half the global protected-area inventory is composed of protected areas that are <100 ha, and the median size of added protected area is decreasing. Studies of the conservation value of small reserves and fragments of natural area are relatively uncommon in the literature. We reviewed SCOPUS and WOK for studies on small reserve and fragment contributions to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, and fifty-eight taxon-specific studies were included in the review. Small reserves harbored substantial portions (upward of 50%) of regional species diversity for many taxa (birds, plants, amphibians, and small mammals) and even some endemic, specialist bird species. Unfortunately, small reserves and fragments almost always harbored more generalist and exotic species than large reserves. Community composition depended on habitat quality, surrounding land use (agricultural vs. urban), and reserve and fragment size, which presents opportunities for management and improvement. Small reserves also provided ecosystem services, such as pollination and biological pest control, and cultural services, such as recreation and improved human health. Limitations associated with small reserves, such as extinction debt and support of area-sensitive species, necessitate a complement of larger reserves. However, we argue that small reserves can make viable and significant contributions to conservation goals directly as habitat and indirectly by increasing landscape connectivity and quality to the benefit of large reserves. To effectively conserve biodiversity for future generations in landscapes fragmented by human development, small reserves and fragments must be included in conservation planning.     

世界保护区研究的新进展

20世纪 80年代以来 ,国家公园和自然保护区的思想和实践进入一个新的发展时期。本文从保护区文化价值观、经费、居民、科学基础和规划 5个方面分析当今世界保护区研究的新进展 ,指出维护和保持生态系统完整性是自然生态系统类保护区建设和研究的新方向     

Simulating future land use and ecosystem services in Northern Thailand

Enhancing ecosystem services is important as it provides foundation for the wellbeing of people. This paper presents the future land use simulation for enhancing ecosystem services using CLUMondo dynamic spatial model. The land use change was assessed from 1989 to 2013 in Wang Thong watershed of Northern Thailand using GIS and a set of ecosystem services was assessed using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. Future land uses until 2030 were projected for three policy scenarios, namely business-as-usual, integrated land use development, and enhancing environmental services with different levels of emphasis on ecosystem services. In business-as-usual scenario, it was observed that ecosystem services will decline by 2030 from the base year of 2013, whereas in integrated land use development scenario, the ecosystem services will increase by 5% compared to base year due to anticipated effective protection of remaining forests in all existing and proposed protected areas of the study area. In enhancing environmental services scenario, the ecosystem services will increase by 15%. Such results can serve as useful information in policy formulation in developing land use options, which help enhance ecosystem services in future.     

基于遥感与GIS的黄河三角洲绿色空间生态服务价值评估

基于黄河三角洲1987、1997和2007年的TM遥感影像解译数据和野外调查结果,得到研究区三个年度的土地利用空间分布图。然后从土地利用的角度重新审视绿色空间的概念和内涵,建立基于土地利用类型的绿色空间生态评估体系,分析黄河三角洲地区的绿色空间生态服务价值及其变化情况。研究结果表明,1987—2007年间黄河三角洲地区绿色空间土地利用变化显著,其中,水体面积增加明显,农田、林地面积略有增加,湿地和草地面积显著减少,未利用地面积略有减少。土地利用面积的变化直接影响到其生态服务价值的变化,研究期间湿地生态服务价值减少了77.72亿元,草地减少9.00亿元,未利用地减少0.16亿元;水体的生态服务价值增加54.54亿元,农田和林地共增加3.41亿元。研究区绿色空间生态服务价值呈逐年减少的趋势,20年间研究区生态服务价值减少了28.94亿元。通过对绿色空间单项生态服务价值功能重要性进行评价,研究表明黄河三角洲地区单项生态服务价值以湿地、农田和水体占主要地位,这与各单项生态系统的面积及其单位生态服务价值量有关。     

我国自然保护区建设及其对生物多样性的保护

到1991年底,我国共建立各种类型自然保护区708个,总面积56066.6kha,约占国土面积的5.54％。本文从我国森林、草原、荒漠、内陆湿地和水域、海洋、海岸等生态系统类型自然保护区以及野生动、植物类型自然保护区的建设着手,全面分析了我国自然保护区建设对生物多样性保护的贡献和存在的不足。     

Predicting China's cultivated land resources and supporting capacity in the twenty-first century

In recent years, China's cultivated land has been shrinking, a change which has become one of the potential challenges to national sustainable development and global food security. In our research, we have predicted China's cultivated land resources for the next 50 years, based on scrutiny of systematic data and analyses of the loss of cultivated land. We have also designed an indicator of cultivated land equivalent per capita (CLEPC) to assess the capacity of cultivated land to support our population. The results show that China's cultivated land will decline to a minimum of 113.31 million ha between 2001–2010, while cultivated land per capita will decline from 0.101 ha to 0.083 ha. After 2010, the area of cultivated land will begin to increase slowly to 118.98 million ha in 2050. However, cultivated land per capita will still decline to 0.079 ha between 2010–2030; after 2030, it will start to increase and reach 0.085 ha in 2050. In contrast to the total area and per capita area of cultivated land, the CLEPC will remain at 0.101 ha between 2001–2010, and then increase to 0.156 ha in 2050. Overall, there will be increasing stress on China's cultivated land during the next two or three decades. Although the supporting capacity of cultivated land may not decline obviously with improvement in agricultural technology and infrastructure, China has to make great efforts to reduce the loss of cultivated land and to improve its productivity to ensure food security in the near future.     

滨海湿地类自然保护区的成本-效益研究——以江苏盐城湿地珍禽国家级自然保护区为例

以江苏盐城湿地珍禽国家级自然保护区为例,分析了滨海湿地生态系统所提供的生态系统服务及保护该系统所产生的成本.采用市场价值法、影子工程法和专家评估法估算了保护区内滨海湿地生态系统服务价值.2010年盐城保护区内滨海湿地生态系统产生的保护成本为8.18× 109元,其中管理成本为1.95× 107元,机会成本为8.16× 109元;保护区产生的效益为1.83× 1010元.结果表明,盐城保护区获得的效益远大于其付出的成本,盐城保护区的存在具有经济学上的收益优势.因此,在盐城滨海湿地建立自然保护区具有巨大的生态效益,这种优势更多地体现为长期的综合效益,且难以用货币形式直接兑现.对待自然保护区建设与管理应形成整体、长期的理念,不能因短期利益和局部利益而牺牲自然保护区,真正做到对保护区的永久保护和持续利用.     

Assessment of the erosion control function of forest ecosystems based on GIS: a case study in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park,China

Erosion control is one of the most important functions of forest ecosystems, and its accurate assessment is useful to illuminate the importance of forest ecosystem services for humans so as to rationally conserve forest resources. This paper examines Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the first national forest park in China, to seek practical methods for assessment of the forest erosion control function using a geographical information system (GIS). The results show that the potential and actual amounts of soil erosion are 2.92 million ton and 0.14 million ton per year, respectively, in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The total reduction in soil loss reaches 2.77 million ton per year with the existence of a forest ecosystem. The erosion control function of near mature, mature and over mature broadleaf forest is excellent, and natural forest conservation and natural restoration of the degraded forest ecosystem can provide the largest benefits in soil erosion control. Nearly all the near mature, mature and over-mature forest in the park is at the top and in steep mountain areas, and could be rationally cut and utilized by local communities, but extensive timber felling should be strictly prohibited.     

资源型城市土地利用变化及其对生态系统服务价值的影响

东营市是新兴的石油资源城市,土地利用/覆被变化剧烈且具有独特的区域特征。探讨该地区的土地利用变化及其对生态系统服务价值的影响有着重要的现实意义。为此,基于RS和GIS技术,利用Costanza提出的生态系统服务价值评估方法,研究了东营市1986—2008年间的土地利用变化及其引起的生态系统服务价值动态变化。研究结果表明：（1）耕地是东营市主要的土地利用类型,面积有所减少;未利用地和次生盐碱地所占比重较大,居民点及工矿用地大幅增加,油田生产建设和生态环境保护矛盾非常突出。（2）生态系统服务价值减少了6.68%。2008年东营市提供的生态服务仍然以维护原材料、气体调节、食物生产、气候等为主,而废物处理、水源涵养、生物多样性保护、土壤形成与保护和娱乐文化功能是比较弱的。今后应维护生物多样性保护和水源涵养功能,防止土壤盐渍化,提升区域生态系统服务功能;（3）生态系统服务价值对生态价值系数的敏感性指数均小于1,说明研究区内的生态系统服务价值缺乏弹性,研究结果是可信的。     

Modelling the potential impacts of land use/cover change on terrestrial carbon stocks in north-west Morocco

Terrestrial ecosystems store more carbon (C) than the atmosphere and provide ecosystem services (ES) such as global climate regulation, by sequestering carbon within biomass and soil. Land use land cover (LULC) change is considered a key factor, playing an important role in the dynamic variations of carbon storage. The aim of this paper is to assess the effects that LULC has had on carbon stocks and consequently on climate change regulation in north-western Morocco over 21 years. To achieve this aim, the Integrated Valuation of ES and Trade-offs (InVEST) model is used to assess status and variation in the net amount of carbon stored by the different types of LULC, and the economic value of the carbon sequestered in the remaining stock. The results show that the total carbon stock increased from 4.81TgC in 1996 to 4.98TgC in 2017. Over the 21 years, the LULC changes had the greatest effect on carbon storage - an increase of 6.87% with 0.17TgC of carbon sequestered, since the majority of unused land was changed to forest and cultivated land. Based on the global costs of atmospheric carbon, we estimate the economic value of carbon storage services to be between US$1,800,000 and US$3,570,000 for the whole period, with an average yearly increment of between US$86,000 and US$170,000. The results show that the ecosystem management has had a substantial climate mitigation effect. Also, the possibility of paying for ES could inform policy on the adoption of LULC to support livelihood and management choices.     

Linking deforestation scenarios to pollination services and economic returns in coffee agroforestry systems.

The ecological and economic consequences of rain forest conversion and fragmentation for biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and ecosystem services like protection of soils, water retention, pollination, or biocontrol are poorly understood. In human-dominated tropical landscapes, forest remnants may provide ecosystem services and act as a source for beneficial organisms immigrating into adjacent annual and perennial agro-ecosystems. In this study, we use empirical data on the negative effects of increasing forest distance on both pollinator diversity and fruit set of coffee to estimate future changes in pollination services for different land use scenarios in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Spatially explicit land use simulations demonstrate that depending on the magnitude and location of ongoing forest conversion, pollination services are expected to decline continuously and thus directly reduce coffee yields by up to 18%, and net revenues per hectare up to 14% within the next two decades (compared to average yields of the year 2001). Currently, forests in the study area annually provide pollination services worth 46 Euros per hectare. However, our simulations also revealed a potential win-win constellation, in which ecological and economic values can be preserved, if patches of forests (or other natural vegetation) are maintained in the agricultural landscape, which could be a viable near future option for local farmers and regional land use planners.     

Identifying 120 years of decline in ecosystem structure and maturity of Great South Bay, New York using the Ecopath modelling approach

Mass balanced models yield valuable information regarding ecological function and delivery of ecosystem services, but often rely on data collected well before many species were reduced to fractions of their original abundance. Lagoonal systems, such as Great South Bay (GSB), NY, sit on the interface of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and are prone to anthropogenic stressors but proximity to land also makes the presence of data regarding historic populations and structure more likely. To quantify over a century of ecosystem change, Ecopath models were developed for GSB at each of four time periods where commercial and scientific data exist: 1880s, 1930s, 1980s and 2000s. The results indicated that the GSB has experienced a decline in ecosystem maturity, loss of top keystone predators, a decline in connectivity to the ocean though the reduction of migratory species and increasing dominance of low trophic level organisms. These changes undermine the delivery of ecosystem services, increase conflicts over limited resources and suggest that present day restoration targets fail to recognize appropriate baselines. We discuss the role of stochastic events, which result in state changes that could be defined as regime shifts, and ecosystem connectivity to the long-term stability of lagoonal systems.     

Economic land use, ecosystem services and microfounded species dynamics

In an integrated economy–ecosystem model humans choose their land use and leave the residual land as habitat for three species forming a food chain. The size of habitat determines the diversity and abundance of species. That biodiversity generates, in turn, a flow of ecosystem services with public-good characteristics for human consumption. The ecosystem submodel yields (rather than assumes!) population growth functions with each species’ growth depending on the size of habitat. First the relationship between habitat and species growth (sustenance, decline and extinction) is explored. The laissez-faire economy is shown to result in an underprovision of habitat making the case for land use restrictions for nature protection. The optimal land use policy is characterized with full regard of ecosystem dynamics. Finally, labor-augmenting technical change is introduced to generate ever increasing pressure towards further habitat reductions. In the laissez-faire economy the habitat is consequently squeezed to zero in the long-run so that all species are doomed. Social optimality demands, however, to refrain from using all land for economic purposes despite ever growing labor productivity.     

Safeguarding Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Little Karoo,South Africa

Abstract: Global declines in biodiversity and the widespread degradation of ecosystem services have led to urgent calls to safeguard both. Responses to this urgency include calls to integrate the needs of ecosystem services and biodiversity into the design of conservation interventions. The benefits of such integration are purported to include improvements in the justification and resources available for these interventions. Nevertheless, additional costs and potential trade‐offs remain poorly understood in the design of interventions that seek to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. We sought to investigate the synergies and trade‐offs in safeguarding ecosystem services and biodiversity in South Africa's Little Karoo. We used data on three ecosystem services—carbon storage, water recharge, and fodder provision—and data on biodiversity to examine several conservation planning scenarios. First, we investigated the amount of each ecosystem service captured incidentally by a conservation plan to meet targets for biodiversity only while minimizing opportunity costs. We then examined the costs of adding targets for ecosystem services into this conservation plan. Finally, we explored trade‐offs between biodiversity and ecosystem service targets at a fixed cost. At least 30% of each ecosystem service was captured incidentally when all of biodiversity targets were met. By including data on ecosystem services, we increased the amount of services captured by at least 20% for all three services without additional costs. When biodiversity targets were reduced by 8%, an extra 40% of fodder provision and water recharge were obtained and 58% of carbon could be captured for the same cost. The opportunity cost (in terms of forgone production) of safeguarding 100% of the biodiversity targets was about US$500 million. Our results showed that with a small decrease in biodiversity target achievement, substantial gains for the conservation of ecosystem services can be achieved within our biodiversity priority areas for no extra cost.     

The multifunctionality of the natural environment through the basic ecosystem services in the Florina region,Greece

Until the last decade, protecting the environment was seen as a factor contributing to human well-being, and conservation of natural ecosystems was considered to be one of the most important factors of environmental protection. Numerous studies have dealt with the benefits of natural ecosystems and in recent years even more so with ecosystem services, as well as interactions of ecosystem services with each other and with the urban and peri-urban environment. This paper suggests an approach to the spatial unity of the Florina region using basic ecosystem services identified by land use. The aim was, first, to describe the spatial distribution of basic ecosystem services and their interactions and, second, to investigate whether they form important statistical correlations with the basic features of the prefecture. A 1 km × 1 km analysis of 10 ecosystem services covering the surface of the prefecture was carried out.     

Downgrading,Downsizing, Degazettement,and Reclassification of Protected Areas in Brazil

Protected areas (PAs) are key elements for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. Brazil has the largest PA system in the world, covering approximately 220 million ha. This system expanded rapidly in the mid‐1990s to the mid‐2000s. Recent events in Brazil, however, have led to an increase in PA downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD). Does this reflect a shift in the country's PA policy? We analyzed the occurrence, frequency, magnitude, type, spatial distribution, and causes of changes in PA boundaries and categories in Brazil. We identified 93 PADDD events from 1981 to 2012. Such events increased in frequency since 2008 and were ascribed primarily to generation and transmission of electricity in Amazonia. In Brazilian parks and reserves, 7.3 million ha were affected by PADDD events, and of these, 5.2 million ha were affected by downsizing or degazetting. Moreover, projects being considered by the Federal Congress may degazette 2.1 million ha of PA in Amazonia alone. Relaxing the protection status of existing PAs is proving to be politically easy in Brazil, and the recent increase in frequency and extension of PADDD reflects a change in governmental policy. By taking advantage of chronic deficiencies in financial and personnel resources and surveillance, disputes over land tenure, and the slowness of the Brazilian justice, government agencies have been implementing PADDD without consultation of civil society. If parks and reserves are to maintain their integrity, there will need to be investments in Brazilian PAs and a better understanding of the benefits PAs provide. Degradación, Reajuste, Eliminacióm de las Listas y Reclasificación de Áreas Protegidas en Brasil