Climate change disproportionately affects visual quality of cultural ecosystem services in a mountain region

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 101190
Author(s):  
Nicole C. Inglis ◽  
Jelena Vukomanovic
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Visual Quality ◽  
Mountain Region ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services

DANUBIUS-RI: Future Vision and Research Needs for River-Sea Systems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sina Bold ◽  
Jana Friedrich ◽  
Peter Heininger ◽  
Chris Bradley ◽  
Andrew Tyler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Extreme Events ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Research Infrastructure ◽  
Natural Connection ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Excellent Research

<p><span>More than three quarters of the Earth's land surface is connected to the ocean by rivers. This natural connection between land and ocean by rivers, estuaries and deltas, as well as coastal seas, is essential for humankind in providing key ecosystem services (incl. food and water). However, the quantity and quality of water and sediment transported along the river-sea continuum is changing fundamentally with implications for the structure and functioning of associated ecosystems that are in turn affecting the continued provision of ecosystems services. </span></p><p><span>DANUBIUS-RI, the International Centre for Advanced Studies on River-Sea Systems, is a distributed research infrastructure (RI) integrating studies of rivers and their catchments, transitional waters, such as estuaries, deltas and lagoons, and their adjacent coastal seas (i.e. River-Sea Systems). DANUBIUS-RI’s vision is to achieve healthy River-Sea Systems and advance their sustainable management in order to live within the planet’s ecological limits by 2050. DANUBIUS-RI’s mission is to facilitate excellent research from the river source to the sea </span><span>by (1) providing access to </span><span>state-of-the art </span><span>facilities, methods and tools, as well as samples and data; (2) bringing together relevant expertise to advance process and system understanding and to enhance stakeholder engagement; and (3) enabling the development of integrated management and policy-making in </span><span>River-Sea Systems. DANUBIUS-RI’s mission-oriented, integrated, interdisciplinary and participatory approach seeks to change the process and system understanding of River-Sea Systems and their respective management.</span></p><p><span>DANUBIUS-RI’s</span><span> Science & Innovation Agenda </span><span>is </span><span>guiding the RI’s evolution as it progresses from preparation through implementation to operation. It describes DANUBIUS-RI’s vision, mission and approach, and provides a scientific framework for the RI’s design and highlights the research priorities for the first five years. </span><span>The framework includes interrelated key challenges in River-Sea Systems, such as global change including climate change and extreme events</span><span>, changes in hydromorphology, the </span><span>quantity and quality of water and sediment across the river-sea continuum as well as the structure and functioning of associated ecosystems</span><span>. DANUBIUS-RI’s research priorities are in line with forthcoming missions of Horizon Europe, which have been applied to River-Sea Systems (1): “Achieving healthy inland, transitional and coastal waters” including the research priorities (a) Water Quantity, (b) Sediment Balance, (c) Nutrients and Pollutants, (d) Biodiversity, (e) Ecosystem Services; and (2): “Adapting to Climate Change: Enhancing Resilience of River-Sea Systems” including the research priorities (f) Climate Change, (g) Extreme Events.</span></p><p><span>In 2016, the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) included DANUBIUS-RI in its roadmap highlighting the need for a research infrastructure at the freshwater-marine interface. </span><span>The Horizon 2020 project DANUBIUS-PP (Preparatory Phase) has built the scientific, legal and financial foundation to enable DANUBIUS-RI to proceed to implementation (www.danubius-pp.eu.</span></p>

scholarly journals Quantitative Assessment of the Relative Impacts of Land Use and Climate Change on the Key Ecosystem Services in the Hengduan Mountain Region, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erfu Dai ◽  
Le Yin ◽  
Yahui Wang ◽  
Liang Ma ◽  
Miao Tong
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Mountain Region ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Hengduan Mountain ◽  
The Impact

In the Hengduan Mountain region, soil erosion is the most serious ecological environmental problem. Understanding the impact mechanism of water yield and soil erosion is essential to optimize ecosystem management and improve ecosystem services. This study used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) and Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) models to separate the relative contributions of land use and climate change to water yield and soil erosion. The results revealed that: (1) Although soil and water conservation has been strengthened in the past 25 years, both water yield and soil erosion increased from 2010 to 2015 due to the conversion of woodland to grassland, which indicates that continuous benefits after the implementation of ecological restoration projects were not obtained; (2) Climate change played a decisive role in water yield and soil erosion changes in the Hengduan Mountain region from 1990 to 2015, and soil erosion was not only related to the amount of precipitation but also closely related to precipitation intensity; (3) The contribution of land use and climate change to water yield was 26.94% and 73.06%, while for soil erosion, the contribution of land use and climate change was 16.23% and 83.77%, respectively.

scholarly journals Towards Intangible Freshwater Cultural Ecosystem Services: Informing Sustainable Water Resources Management

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 535
Author(s):  
Sikhululekile Ncube ◽  
Lindsay Beevers ◽  
Andrea Momblanch
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
River Flows ◽  
Sustainable Water Resources Management ◽  
Aesthetic Values ◽  
Sustainable Water Resources

Rivers provide a range of Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) such as aesthetic values, sense of place and inspiration, which remain insufficiently studied due to challenges associated with the assessment of their subjective and intangible attributes. However, the understanding of CES remains important as they are strongly linked to human wellbeing. This study utilizes a questionnaire-based survey to capture views from two villages along the mainstream of the Beas River in India, to identify the CES it provides, to assess how local communities appreciate their importance and how they relate to river flows. In total, 62 respondents were interviewed. Findings show that the Beas River provides several CES but among these, spiritual/religious ceremonies and rituals, aesthetic values and inspiration benefits were indicated as absolutely essential to the local communities. Results also demonstrate that people’s perception of the quality of CES is sometimes linked to river flows. It can be concluded that the Beas River is crucial in the functioning and livelihoods of local communities as it lies within the core of their cultural, religious and spiritual practices. This study reinforces the need to consider the full suite of ecosystem service categories in sustainable water resources development, planning and decision making.

scholarly journals Recreation in the City-A Part of Cultural Ecosystem Services

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-200
Author(s):  
Zdenka Rózová ◽  
Martina Turanovičová ◽  
Simona Stašová
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Design Management ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
The City

AbstractCultural ecosystem services (CES) are mainly intangible benefits, obtained by aesthetical and other experiences, recreation, learning and spiritual enrichment, or by the ability to distinguish values. In other words, what makes a service ‘cultural’ is its ‘non-economical’ character. CES are ecosystem services with direct impact on the quality of life in urban systems, and they are directly appreciated by inhabitants and visitors of these urban systems (Plieningeret al., 2013; Zulian et al., 2018). In order to satisfy the needs and expectations of the wider urban community, a ‘broader portfolio of areas’ is needed, which can meet the expectations of different users, from children to older adults. The new methodological approach tested on three model areas in the city of Nitra in the housing estate Chrenová was used to establish the level of benefits provided by existing vegetation areas in urban environment in terms of recreation as a CES. Following data were collected: the quality of vegetation, spatial design, management of vegetation elements, selected environmental aspects, available amenities and architectural elements needed for recreation. In our article, we present the assessment of vegetation in relation to the provision of recreation as a CES. Our results show that the assessed areas can be classified in the category of average to low provision of benefits related to recreation. Vegetation on area P1 is in good condition, mainly the quality of trees and shrubs was assessed as very good (4). Other areas (P2 and P3) assessed provide only low levels of benefits derived from recreation as one of the CES. This was caused by some vegetation deficiencies (mainly related to horticultural and compositional aspects). Methodological approach can be used for different vegetation areas in urban environment and after suitable modifications (e.g. adding other components for assessment) also for different cultural ecosystems services. The results can be used in landscape planning documents or in other types of documents dealing with the quality of vegetation in urban environment.

scholarly journals National natural heritage at risk: The Seven Rila Lakes

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 67-80
Author(s):  
Mariyana Nikolova ◽  
Peter Nojarov ◽  
Stoyan Nedkov
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Reanalysis Data ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Lake Ecosystems ◽  
Natural Heritage

The area of the Seven Rila Lakes is situated in the North-West part of the Rila Mountain at an altitude between 2100 and 2500 m a.s.l. within the borders of Rila National Park. There are 140 glacial lakes in Rila Mountain but the area of the Seven Rila Lakes is the most visited and famous with its natural beauty and sacred significance. It is a valuable part of the national natural heritage. The popularity of this area grows constantly with the number of visitors from the country and abroad. This process leads to the deterioration of the natural conditions in the site. At the same time, it is not clear what is the effect of climate change on the environment in the lake’s area. There are many factors that contribute to the degradation of ecosystems in the protected area of the Seven Rila Lakes and pose risk to this valuable natural heritage. These factors are natural (mainly climate change-related), anthropogenic (associated with the excessive tourist pressures on the ecosystems in the protected area), and management (stemming from the ongoing conservation policy over the years). This study explores to what extent climate change may put at risk the ecosystems of Seven Rila Lakes. Mean monthly data from The European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5-Land reanalysis were used in this study. The resolution of these data is 0.1 x 0.1 (9 x 9 km) and their period is 1981-2020. Reanalysis data include air temperature, precipitation, evaporation, snow depth, etc. Based on data from various sources such as reanalysis data, in situ measurements, and statistical modeling, a scenario, based on current trends in different climatic elements, has been developed in order to project future changes and their impact on lake ecosystems. The results of the modelling of climate change show that in the coming decades an increase in temperature is expected in the high mountain regions of South-western Bulgaria and in particular in the Seven Rila Lakes area. This, combined with the ever-increasing flow of tourists, and high demand for the provided cultural ecosystem services, and insufficient management practices, put at risk the state of the lakes and their capacity to provide the same quality of cultural ecosystem services in the future, which attracts tourists in the area now. Recommendations have been made for the optimization of the management of the protected area in accordance with the observed trends.

scholarly journals STUDIES ON THE CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN MALACCA CITY

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Shazwanie Rosehan ◽  
Azlan Abas ◽  
Kadaruddin Aiyub
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Political Economic

The benefits from ecosystem services have the prospective and potential to improve the Malay urban design and increase the quality of life. However, rapid development and urbanization activities are increasingly causing a conversion from the original functions and changes that can affect the urban environment. This paper aims to update current understanding of the concept of Malay cultural ecosystem services in Malacca City. Quantitative research through the survey method to 150 Malay respondents have been carried out in order to identify the parameters describing the types and value of the Malay cultural ecosystem services in the city context. The result revealed aesthetic value, recreational, tourism, social relations, spiritual and educational as the most significance parameters of the Malay cultural ecosystem services. The paper concluded that only through good practices from all parties can reduce the incredible development effects as political, economic and social systems is inevitable and constantly generates new demand.

scholarly journals Can we plan for urban cultural ecosystem services?

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neven Tandarić ◽  
Christopher D Ives ◽  
Charles Watkins
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

Abstract Despite being intangible, subjective and difficult to measure, cultural ecosystem services (CES) are more comprehensible and meaningful to people than many other services. They contribute greatly to the quality of urban life and achieving sustainability. Yet, little attention has been paid to how CES might practically be incorporated into urban planning. This paper addresses this gap by examining the challenges planners might face when handling CES, establishing strategies for addressing the challenges and highlighting key factors planners should consider when planning for CES. CES differ greatly from other ecosystem services—they are definitionally vague, difficult to measure, often bundled with other services and depend on users’ perceptions and situational factors. Therefore, rather than adopting a deterministic approach to generating CES, we suggest that urban planners should seek to create opportunities for CES to ‘hatch’ and ‘grow’ as people encounter nature in cities. This paper draws from diverse theoretical considerations of the CES concept as well as greenspace planning scholarship and practice. We identify five factors that need to be considered when planning for CES: place, people, past, practices and purpose. We see the proposed ‘5P’ framework as a useful heuristic for planners when implementing CES in urban planning.

scholarly journals Swiss alpine summer farming: current status and future development under climate change

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Herzog ◽  
Irmi Seidl
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Mountain Regions ◽  
European Mountain ◽  
Summer Farm

High altitude grazing is widespread around the globe and also has a long tradition in European mountain regions. One-third of the Swiss farmland consists of summer pastures: seasonally used marginal pastures without permanent settlements, which extend between the grasslands and forests of permanent mountain settlements and unproductive mountain tops. Farmers’ main motivations for using those pastures have been and still are forage provision and health benefits for grazing animals, benefits for labour distribution between home farm and summer farm, and cultural ecosystem services such as the maintenance of a tradition and the associated lifestyle. Yet, remote pastures are being abandoned and are prone to reforestation, while more productive and accessible pastures are intensified. Those processes are related to changes in management practices, to scarcity of labour and – to a lesser extent – to climate change. We summarise the agronomic and ecological status of Swiss summer pastures, in particular with respect to livestock keeping, biodiversity and climate change, and speculate on future trends of summer farming.

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