Brazilian assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services: summary for policy makers

Abstract: Biodiversity and ecosystems are important elements for addressing national and global socioeconomic and environmental crises, since they provide new development opportunities, for example, as source of job and income creation, and reduction in poverty and socioeconomic inequity. Brazilian biological diversity is also expressed in its immense cultural diversity, with a great variety of knowledge holders. These peoples possess vast knowledge on agrobiodiversity, fishing, fire management, natural medicine, among others of commercial, cultural and spiritual value. The main conclusions of this Summary for Police Makers is that land use changes and climate changes have been - and will continue to be throughout this century - the main drivers that result in the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the country. Political interventions at different levels (from local to national, from public to private) and the enforcement of existing laws (regulatory mechanisms and incentives) are required to cope with the mitigation of the negative impacts of biodiversity and ecosystem services loss. Brazil has already a wide variety of policy instruments and socioenvironmental governance options, as well as global commitments (ODS, Aich Targets, Paris Agreement) related to the objective of a sustainable future. However, inefficient management control or lack of incentive to comply with the rules pose risks to consolidating the path to this future. The country has strong and capable institutions, but infrastructural problems, slow processes, inefficient measurements and judicial, social and ecological conflicts obstruct a proficient performance. There is a lack of communication between science and society which needs to be improved by establishing an effective flow that makes communication inclusive and representative, reaching public and private decision makers. Permanent efforts to integrate Science and policy knowledges are desirable to build confidence between policy makers and researchers.

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Estimation of the value of forest ecosystem services to develop conservational strategy management (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)

Journal of Forest Science ◽

10.17221/137/2016-jfs ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 63 (No. 7) ◽

pp. 300-312 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jahanifar Komeil ◽

Amirnejad Hamid ◽

Abedi Zahra ◽

Vafaeinejad Alireza

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Carbon Fixation ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Well Being ◽

Soil Protection ◽

Forest Land ◽

Policy Makers

Forests ecosystems provide several undisputable benefits which policy-makers blink since these values do not record in conventional markets or are difficult to measure. This paper indicates that the annual value of the ecosystem services such as water conservation, soil protection, carbon fixation, nutrient cycling, water purification, air pollution absorption and recreation provided by forests is not only worth millions of dollars, but also in per hectare terms much more than hitherto known. After estimating the value of ecosystem services, results are available to policy-makers and experts at a brainstorming and by using SWOT, conservational strategies for long-term management based on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were developed. Ecosystem services value for the Mazandaran Forest Reserve ranged from 14.2 to 14.8 million USD or about 6,676.9–6,785.6 USD·ha<sup>–1</sup>. Given these results, raising the society awareness of the negative impact of forest land use changes based on the functional value were proposed as conservational strategies to prevent the forest land use change. If these are accounted for, then governments and societies faced with the development versus conservation dilemma can create more understanding decisions and policies that will assist to conserve forests and the ecosystem services they provide, and thereby promulgate human well-being and sustainable development.

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Enhancing the circular economy with nature-based solutions in the built urban environment: green building materials, systems and sites

Blue-Green Systems ◽

10.2166/bgs.2019.928 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 46-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

David Pearlmutter ◽

Dimitra Theochari ◽

Thomas Nehls ◽

Pedro Pinho ◽

Patrizia Piro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Built Environment ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Building Materials ◽

Policy Instruments ◽

Green Building ◽

Effective Manner ◽

Green Building Materials ◽

Water Sensitive Urban Design ◽

Negative Impacts

Abstract The objective of this review paper is to survey the state of the art on nature-based solutions (NBS) in the built environment, which can contribute to a circular economy (CE) and counter the negative impacts of urbanization through the provision of ecosystem services. NBS are discussed here at three different levels: (i) green building materials, including biocomposites with plant-based aggregates; (ii) green building systems, employed for the greening of buildings by incorporating vegetation in their envelope; and (iii) green building sites, emphasizing the value of vegetated open spaces and water-sensitive urban design. After introducing the central concepts of NBS and CE as they are manifested in the built environment, we examine the impacts of urban development and the historical use of materials, systems and sites which can offer solutions to these problems. In the central section of the paper we present a series of case studies illustrating the development and implementation of such solutions in recent years. Finally, in a brief critical analysis we look at the ecosystem services and disservices provided by NBS in the built environment, and examine the policy instruments which can be leveraged to promote them in the most effective manner – facilitating the future transition to fully circular cities.

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Connaissances et Pratiques traditionnelles versus Conservation de la biodiversité dans les aires protégées : Cas des populations riveraines du lac Lungwe, Est RD Congo

International Journal of Science and Management Studies (IJSMS) ◽

10.51386/25815946/ijsms-v4i2p103 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 18-35

Author(s):

Léonard K. MUBALAMA ◽

Jean de Dieu WASSO ◽

Germaine BUHENDWA ◽

Félix IGUNZI ◽

Bernard KANDJI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Natural Resources ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Current Mode ◽

Local Communities ◽

Policy Makers

The issues of conservation and development, cultural norms and the enhancement of natural resources are linked and cannot be understood in isolation. In the current context of Lungwe Lake, understanding such relationships necessarily requires a better understanding of the different natural resource management systems in place. In this context, better understanding and preserving the ecosystem services and socio-cultural values of Lake Lungwe in the Itombwe Nature Reserve (RNI) is a necessity for its development. This is the objective of this study on the beliefs of local communities regarding the management of Lungwe Lake. The importance and contribution of local beliefs and traditions of indigenous peoples is no longer demonstrated in the management of a protected area and the enhancement of ecosystem services. Lungwe Lake is a concrete example. Indeed, at the end of the surveys carried out in the villages surrounding Lungwe Lake in the chiefdom of Lwindi, the results showed that several myths were once attributed to Lungwe Lake by ancestors. These practices continue to be passed down from generation to generation. However, cultural practices relating to biodiversity conservation represent a value that has been overlooked or considered less unimportant by policy makers or some scientific circles, simply because they are linked to superstition. different interpretations and or negligence on the part of certain people. These surveys revealed to us the current awakening of consciousness of local communities wishing to enhance the value of Lungwe Lake through tourism activities. Also, the rehabilitation of such practices would be part of the national strategy for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits of the exploitation of natural resources. This strategy is based, among other things, on taking into account traditional methods of cultural practices and biodiversity conservation within the RNI and relating to the management of natural resources. This turns out to be not only a possible solution for the opening up and development of entities around the lake, but also, a realistic avenue with regard to the challenge of the current mode of management of the Itombwe Natural Reserve which encompasses them.

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Connecting ecosystem services science and policy in the field

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment ◽

10.1002/fee.2390 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

JB Ruhl ◽

James Salzman ◽

Craig Anthony Arnold ◽

Robin Craig ◽

Keith Hirokawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Science And Policy ◽

Services Science

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A holistic approach to the productivity paradox

Human Systems Management ◽

10.3233/hsm-2007-26202 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 85-97

Author(s):

Rune Wigblad ◽

John Lewer ◽

Magnus Hansson

Keyword(s):

Holistic Approach ◽

Management Control ◽

New Order ◽

Public And Private ◽

Psychological Reactions ◽

The Public ◽

Time Period ◽

Plant Level ◽

Working Day ◽

Or Organization

Both the public and private sectors have since the 1980s relentlessly cut the size of their workforces. The downsizing has regularly been reported to lead to closure of a whole or a part of a corporation or organization. Some studies which have analyzed the closures have reported that remarkable, counterintuitive improvements in labor productivity occurred during the time-period between the closure announcement and the final working day. Testing an elaborated cybernetic model on a Swedish case study, and on an exploratory basis, this paper proposes a holistic approach to generate a better understanding of this phenomenon. The main holistic pattern is a new order where management control is replaced by more “Self-management” on the plant level, and very strong psychological reactions based on feelings of unfairness.

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Country Representatives’ Perceptions of the Biodiversity Science-Policy Interface

Conservation ◽

10.3390/conservation1020006 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 73-81

Author(s):

André Derek Mader ◽

Brian Alan Johnson ◽

Yuki Ohashi ◽

Isabella Fenstermaker

Keyword(s):

Science Policy ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Convention On Biological Diversity ◽

Science And Policy ◽

Biodiversity Knowledge ◽

Biodiversity Science ◽

Science Policy Interface ◽

Adequate Quality ◽

The Subject

Biodiversity knowledge is communicated by scientists to policymakers at the biodiversity “science-policy interface” (SPI). Although the biodiversity SPI is the subject of a growing body of literature, gaps in our understanding include the efficacy of mechanisms to bridge the interface, the quality of information exchanged between science and policy, and the inclusivity of stakeholders involved. To improve this understanding, we surveyed an important but under-studied group—biodiversity policymakers and scientific advisors representing their respective countries in negotiations of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). We found that a wide variety of SPI mechanisms were being used. Overall, they were considered to be sufficiently effective, improving over time, and supplied with information of adequate quality. Most respondents, however, agreed that key actors were still missing from the biodiversity SPI.

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The Fragmentation of Global Governance Architectures: A Framework for Analysis

Global Environmental Politics ◽

10.1162/glep.2009.9.4.14 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 14-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 405

Author(s):

Frank Biermann ◽

Philipp Pattberg ◽

Harro van Asselt ◽

Fariborz Zelli

Keyword(s):

Global Governance ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

World Politics ◽

Private Institutions ◽

Public And Private ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Governance Challenges ◽

Alternative Hypotheses ◽

Governance Architecture

Most research on global governance has focused either on theoretical accounts of the overall phenomenon or on empirical studies of distinct institutions that serve to solve particular governance challenges. In this article we analyze instead “governance architectures,” defined as the overarching system of public and private institutions, principles, norms, regulations, decision-making procedures and organizations that are valid or active in a given issue area of world politics. We focus on one aspect that is turning into a major source of concern for scholars and policy-makers alike: the “fragmentation” of governance architectures in important policy domains. The article offers a typology of different degrees of fragmentation, which we describe as synergistic, cooperative, and conflictive fragmentation. We then systematically assess alternative hypotheses over the relative advantages and disadvantages of different degrees of fragmentation. We argue that moderate degrees of fragmentation may entail both significant costs and benefits, while higher degrees of fragmentation are likely to decrease the overall performance of a governance architecture. The article concludes with policy options on how high degrees of fragmentation could be reduced. Fragmentation is prevalent in particular in the current governance of climate change, which we have hence chosen as illustration for our discussion.

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Biomimetic Urban and Architectural Design: Illustrating and Leveraging Relationships between Ecosystem Services

Biomimetics ◽

10.3390/biomimetics6010002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 2

Author(s):

Maibritt Pedersen Zari

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Design ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Architectural Design ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Published Data ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Spatial Design ◽

Key Barrier

Redesigning and retrofitting cities so they become complex systems that create ecological and cultural–societal health through the provision of ecosystem services is of critical importance. Although a handful of methodologies and frameworks for considering how to design urban environments so that they provide ecosystem services have been proposed, their use is not widespread. A key barrier to their development has been identified as a lack of ecological knowledge about relationships between ecosystem services, which is then translated into the field of spatial design. In response, this paper examines recently published data concerning synergetic and conflicting relationships between ecosystem services from the field of ecology and then synthesises, translates, and illustrates this information for an architectural and urban design context. The intention of the diagrams created in this research is to enable designers and policy makers to make better decisions about how to effectively increase the provision of various ecosystem services in urban areas without causing unanticipated degradation in others. The results indicate that although targets of ecosystem services can be both spatially and metrically quantifiable while working across different scales, their effectiveness can be increased if relationships between them are considered during design phases of project development.

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Fungi and diseases — natural components of healthy forestsThis article is one of a collection of papers based on a presentation from the Stem and Shoot Fungal Pathogens and Parasitic Plants: the Values of Biological Diversity session of the XXII International Union of Forestry Research Organization World Congress meeting held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in 2005.

Botany ◽

10.1139/b08-090 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 87 (1) ◽

pp. 22-25 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

M. E. Ostry ◽

G. Laflamme

Keyword(s):

Fungal Pathogens ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Forest Health ◽

Disease Outbreaks ◽

Ecological Interactions ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Land Owners ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

The Many ◽

Native Fungi

Forest health is described and perceived in different ways by the general public, land owners, managers, politicians, and scientists, depending on their values and objectives. Native tree pathogens and diseases are often associated with negative impacts even though damage is limited or not widespread. Too often, the concepts of tree health and forest health are used interchangeably and are not related to scale. Similar to fire, occurrences of disease outbreaks focus on the negative effects. However, native pathogens often exist in equilibrium with natural forest communities so their critical ecological roles are not easily discernible. Examined holistically, native fungi and diseases, dead and dying trees, and the many complex ecological interactions among them provide valuable benefits that ultimately contribute to sustainable, healthy forest ecosystems.

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Nudging transparent behavioural science and policy

Behavioural Public Policy ◽

10.1017/bpp.2018.10 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 198-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

OLIVIA M. MAYNARD ◽

MARCUS R. MUNAFÒ

Keyword(s):

Science Research ◽

Incentive Structure ◽

Behavioural Science ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Science And Policy ◽

Behavioural Insights ◽

Study Protocols ◽

Research Transparency

AbstractThere are inherent differences in the priorities of academics and policy-makers. These pose unique challenges for teams such as the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), which has positioned itself as an organisation conducting academically rigorous behavioural science research in policy settings. Here we outline the threats to research transparency and reproducibility that stem from working with policy-makers and other non-academic stakeholders. These threats affect how we perform, communicate, verify and evaluate research. Solutions that increase research transparency include pre-registering study protocols, making data open and publishing summaries of results. We suggest an incentive structure (a simple ‘nudge’) that rewards BIT's non-academic partners for engaging in these practices.

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