scholarly journals A New Look at the Natural Capital Concept: Approaches, Structure, and Evaluation Procedure

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 9236
Author(s):  
Margarita Ignatyeva ◽  
Vera Yurak ◽  
Oksana Logvinenko
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Evaluation Procedure ◽  
The Core ◽  
Khanty Mansi Autonomous ◽  
Ecosystem Approaches

This article considers the concept of natural capital as a basic construct of sustainable development. However, after numerous studies, a number of aspects of accounting and valuation of natural capital remain unspecified. The relevance and imperfection of the guidelines used to assess natural capital make relevant the development of such issues as the conceptual apparatus and methods to natural capital assessment. Therefore, the core objectives of the paper are: (1) to substantiate the structure of natural capital, taking into account the natural resources and ecosystem approaches; (2) to clarify the concepts of “function” and “services” in relation to abiotic and biotic components of the environment; (3) to generalize and analyze the classifications of ecosystem services, and to develop the authors’ classification; (4) to identify the most common methods for the economic assessment of natural capital’s components, and to implement these methods within a specific territory. These methods have been tested on the Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug (KhMAD, Russia). The most typical ecosystems of the region and their inherent ecosystem services have been identified. Assessment results are presented for (1) forest ecosystems, (2) mountain ecosystems, and (3) ecosystems of swamps, lakes, and rivers.

scholarly journals Forest ecosystem services – assessment methods

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 248-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bożena Kornatowska ◽  
Jadwiga Sienkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Market Values ◽  
Forest Ecosystem Services

Abstract Forest ecosystems represent the most important values of natural assets. In economic valuation techniques, to estimate the value of forest ecosystem services, the attention is still focused mainly on their market values, i.e. the value of benefits measured in the economic calculation based, first of all, on the price of timber. The valuation of natural resources is currently supported by considerations of the global policy, in order to strengthen the argumentation justifying the need to incur expenditure related to the protection of biodiversity. There is increasing evidence that biodiversity contributes to forest ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services. Natural capital of forests can be consumed directly as food, wood and other raw materials or indirectly – by benefitting from purified water and air, safeguarded soils or protected climate. At the same time, forest ecosystems provide us with a range of intangible values – scientific, cultural, religious as well as encompass heritage to pass on to future generations. In the era of increasing pressure on the use of free public goods (natural resources), it is necessary to improve understanding of the role of forests in creating national natural capital, and in enhancing the quality of human life. All things considered, the so called non-market forest ecosystem services may have a much higher value than the profits from the production of timber and raw materials. Needless to say, non-market values of forest ecosystems are of great importance for the quality of human life, and the awareness of this should translate into social behavior in the use of natural resources. This paper reviews the methods to estimate the value of forest ecosystem services in view of recently acknowledged paradigm to move forward from economic production to sustainable human well-being.

scholarly journals Forest ecosystem services in the tropics: an imperfect assessment of their contribution to welfare, and environmental policy implications

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-107
Author(s):  
Martín A. López-Ramírez ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Bootstrap Method ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Production Scale ◽  
The Tropics

Introduction: The specific relation between ecosystem services (ES), land use systems productivity and welfare is complex and poorly understood.Objective: To analyze the relationship between natural capital and welfare in the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector to assess Ecosystem Services contribution to agriculture, forestry and fishing value added (GDP [Gross Domestic Product]) and analyze policy implications.Materials and methods: Using land use allocation variables, forest transition model and land use GDP for 97 tropical countries, the production function of AFOLU sector was estimated using a linear regression model and a bootstrap method. The properties of the function were analyzed, and the optimal land allocation was calculated.Results and discussion: There is a direct contribution and an indirect contribution from forest ecosystems to GDP. The direct effect is manifested through the partial elasticity of forestland (P < 0.05). The indirect effect is reflected through the production scale (P < 0.05). Partial elasticity of agriculture is significantly higher than partial elasticity of forestland (P < 0.05) and production scale increases as forestland is depleted (P < 0.05). In addition, optimal land use indicates that 75 countries have forest surplus (13.2 Mkm2) and 22 forest deficit (1.5 Mkm2).Conclusions: Forest ecosystems in the AFOLU sector in the tropics produce ecosystem services for society. However, these contributions are dwarfed by agricultural land productivity.

Biophysical and economic assessment of four ecosystem services for natural capital accounting in Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 101207
Author(s):  
A. Capriolo ◽  
R.G. Boschetto ◽  
R.A. Mascolo ◽  
S. Balbi ◽  
F. Villa
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Natural Capital Accounting

Hypothesizing a New Standard for Environmental Injunctions

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-128
Author(s):  
Kalpana S. Murari
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Environmental Harm ◽  
Judicial Discretion ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Injunctive Relief ◽  
Natural Capital Accounting

Environmental litigation expands into economic activities that contribute to global warming and promotes inequitable distribution of natural resources. In the context of climate change litigation, international courts have consistently held that governments need to act on climate change and strive towards sustainable development. Courts are expected to act proactively and provide long-term solutions to environmental problems and address climate change impacts by ensuring compliance of legislative norms. Courts exercise discretionary powers when granting injunctive relief that provide a threshold for courts to intervene and guide economic activities of a nation towards sustainable development. Courts need to protect the legislative intent of the executive, preserve fundamental rights of parties not present before the court while preventing any injury to the defending party by protecting their rights under law or in equity. In the absence of statutory prescriptions for testing environmental harm, courts have established standards for granting interim relief, to ensure there is no abuse of powers to grant injunctions and that such orders are not set aside on grounds of abuse of judicial discretion. This paper prescribes a single, uniform and sufficient standard that calls for ‘Natural Capital’ accounting by federal agencies and private businesses that exploit natural resources for commercial purposes. Keywords: Environmental injunctions; Natural capital; Natural Capital accounting; Injunctive relief; Precautionary principle

Ecological and economic mapping the Republic of Tatarstan

2019 ◽  
Vol 943 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-155
Author(s):  
A.A. Pakina ◽  
N.I. Tulskaya ◽  
A.A. Karnaushenko
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Industrial Production ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Economic Welfare ◽  
Agricultural Lands ◽  
Human Wellbeing ◽  
The Republic

The world’s economic welfare is supported by its natural resources. Mapping ecosystem services (ES) is essential to understand how ecosystems contribute to human wellbeing and to support policies, which have an impact on nature. Mapping (ES) is an important tool in their assessment. ES mapping and assessment include ecosystem properties and conditions, ES potential, supply, flow and demand. Approaches to the assessment and mapping the role of Tatarstan’s natural and transformed ecosystems in the carbon dioxide’s balance are presented. The contribution of forest ecosystems to the species’ balance composition and age of forests are estimated. The crop photosynthesis and soils’ respiration are used for agricultural lands. Emissions from industrial production are considered. Fuel combustion and other processes contribute to the balance of carbon dioxide as well. Maps compiled for these purposes prove to be an important tool to assess carbon capacity.

scholarly journals Biophysical Accounting of Forests’ Value Under Different Management Regimes: Conservation vs Exploitation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Vassallo ◽  
Claudia Turcato ◽  
Rigo Ilaria ◽  
Claudia Scopesi ◽  
Andrea Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Production Flow ◽  
Common Beech ◽  
Stocks And Flows

Forest ecosystems are important providers of ecosystem functions and services belonging to four categories: supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services. Forest management, generally focused on timber production, has consequences on the ability of the system to keep providing services. Silviculture, in fact, may affect ecological structures and processes from which services arise. In particular, the removal of biomass causes a radical change in the stocks and flows of energy characterizing the system. Aiming at the assessment of differences in stored natural capital and ecosystem functions and services provision, three differently managed temperate forests of common beech (Fagus sylvatica) were considered: (1) a forest in semi-natural condition, (2) a forest carefully managed to get timber in a sustainable way and (3) a forest exploited without management. Natural capital and ecosystem functions and services are here accounted in biophysical terms. Specifically, all the resources used up to create the biomass (stock) and maintain the production (flow) of the different components of the forest system were calculated. Both stored emergy and empower decrease at increasing human pressure on the forest, resulting in a loss of natural capital and a diminished ability of the natural system to contribute to human well-being in terms of ecosystem services provision.

Conclusion

Wild Capital ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 217-238
Author(s):  
Barbara K. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Outdoor Recreation ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Human Experience ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cultural Service ◽  
Wildlife Viewing

The ecosystem services model plays a critical role in explaining how natural resources can be turned into wild or natural capital. The logic of economics relies on weighing the measurable values of competing choices when making decisions. Through that process, if we value the functions and products of ecosystems that benefit humans or yield welfare to society, we become better stewards of the natural world. For this book’s purposes, ecotourism as a cultural service clearly demonstrates how consumers of outdoor recreation see value in activities like wildlife viewing or hiking in nature. For wild nature to persist, however, it must be part of a larger system that is bound not only by biological ties, but by economic and cultural incentives as well. Since the boundaries that determine human and wild nature’s space are rather fluid and rarely entirely isolated from the other, using ecotourism to help assign nature value is logical. By offering individuals the opportunity to see nature through a variety of lenses, nature can be protected and preserved in different degrees. If nature and wildlife remain outside our human experience, however, inspiring the love and concern necessary for its survival becomes more and more difficult.

scholarly journals Penilaian Kawasan Hutan dalam Penentuan Kelayakan Luas Areal Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit (Suatu Pendekatan Konseptual)

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 336
Author(s):  
Akhmad Yani
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Existence Value ◽  
Capital Assets ◽  
Forest Ecosystem Services ◽  
Economic Assets

Most  studies valuation that have been described previously including forest ecosystems do not see the forest ecosystem services as natual capital / natural assets and even the socio-ecological context. The implication is that forest ecosystem services are considered as an economic asset / economic capital.  the concept of value used in the valuation is the concept of the value of output.  Though the forest ecosystem services has the characteristics of a sustainable dynamic and as part of the life supporting system including the ability resilience and self-terrific capacity. So that the forest ecosystem is no longer seen as economic assets, but with the characteristics of the dynamic and sustainable forest ecosystem is seen as natural or natural capital assets. The current perspective marginalize other forest ecosystem functions, such as socio-economic functions. Whereas the concept of an insurance value of forest ecosystems is not just the case as seen from the perspective as natural capital, but the role of social values in maintaining the sustainability of forest ecosystems is crucial, as reflected by the presence of heritage value, and existence value. So that the insurance value of the forest ecosystem occurs because the forest ecosystem serves as a natural asset / natural and social capital assets / social capital.

scholarly journals Biophysical Accounting of Forests’ Value under Different Management Regimes: Conservation vs. Exploitation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4638
Author(s):  
Paolo Vassallo ◽  
Claudia Turcato ◽  
Ilaria Rigo ◽  
Claudia Scopesi ◽  
Andrea Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Production Flow ◽  
Common Beech ◽  
Stocks And Flows

Forest ecosystems are important providers of ecosystem functions and services belonging to four categories: supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural ecosystem services. Forest management, generally focused on timber production, has consequences on the ability of the system to keep providing services. Silviculture, in fact, may affect the ecological structures and processes from which services arise. In particular, the removal of biomass causes a radical change in the stocks and flows of energy characterizing the system. Aiming at the assessment of differences in stored natural capital and ecosystem functions and services provision, three differently managed temperate forests of common beech (Fagus sylvatica) were considered: (1) a forest in semi-natural condition, (2) a forest carefully managed to get timber in a sustainable way and (3) a forest exploited without management. Natural capital and ecosystem functions and services are here accounted in biophysical terms. Specifically, all the resources used up to create the biomass (stock) and maintain the production (flow) of the different components of the forest system were calculated. Both stored emergy and empower decrease with increasing human pressure on the forest, resulting in a loss of natural capital and a diminished ability of the natural system to contribute to human well-being in terms of ecosystem services provision.

scholarly journals Sustainable Development and Protected Natural Areas: The Case of Tunkinsky National Park in Russia

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 131
Author(s):  
Sergey Kirillov ◽  
Elena Vorobyevskaya ◽  
Mikhail Slpenchuk ◽  
Viktor Zhuravlev
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
National Park ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Nature Management ◽  
Natural Areas ◽  
Administrative District ◽  
Protected Natural Areas ◽  
The Republic

The creation of rational nature management systems meets the needs of society and the necessary level of reproduction of natural resources and environmental protection.  This is the main goal of the strategies for sustainable development of the regions. An integrated approach to assessing natural resource potential necessarily includes an economic assessment of the maximum possible number of environmental services. It forms the basis for territorial and sectoral planning. Protected natural areas have not only valuable biosphere resources, but also unique natural, historical and cultural opportunities for recreational activities. The territory of Tunkinsky National Park, located in the Republic of Buryatia in Russia, completely coincides with the borders of Tunkinsky administrative district of the Republic of Buryatia. Conflicts in the use of natural resources occur between the need to ensure the protection of nature and the development of economic activities. Using the example of Tunkinsky National Park, the role of a territory that is hardly affected by human economic activity, which provides ecologically important conditions for the life of society, is determined in monetary terms.

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