Ecosystem services and protected areas

In the last two decades different methodologies for assessing the economic implications of protected areas have been developed within the framework of "Total Economic Value", taking into account not only goods and services that have a price and a market but also those not priced or marketed. The present paper, by using a number of recognized methodologies applied by environmental economists around the world, estimates the economic value of ecosystem services of Piatra Craiului National Park, in one of the first attempts to frame ecosystem services valuation in Romania. The approach and results include a benefit distribution analysis, for both the economic sectors and the groups of beneficiaries. Even if the data are not comprehensive and depend on several assumptions, the paper provides very important practical and policy-relevant information on the economic value of Piatra Craiului National Park, in an attempt to stimulate increasing of the budgetary allocation and economic policy priority for protected areas in Romania.

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Challenges of assessment and mapping of ecosystem services in Bulgarian (Rhodope) and Russian (Altai) mountain protected areas in the context of post-socialist transformations and new conservation paradigms

Silva Balcanica ◽

10.3897/silvabalcanica.22.e69861 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 43-68

Author(s):

Dmitry V. Chernykh ◽

Maria Glushkova ◽

Dmitry K. Pershin ◽

Miglena Zhiyanski ◽

Alina E. Zinovieva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Altai Mountains ◽

Altai Mountain ◽

Conservation Policies ◽

Mountainous Regions ◽

Forest Exploitation ◽

Different Types

The overarching goal of this survey was to identify the challenges of ecosystem services assessment and mapping in Russian and Bulgarian mountain protected areas in the context of post-socialist transformations, new conservation paradigms and climate change. The Altai Mountains in Russia and the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria were selected as key mountain territories for comparison due to their similar characteristics: agriculture, forest exploitation, tourism activities, etc. Both in Bulgaria and in Russia, perceptions of the protected areas functioning have been changing, facilitated by global shifts. Thus, the concept of ecosystem services has now been actively introduced in nature and biodiversity conservation policies. Based on WDPA data the emergence of different types of protected areas in Russia and Bulgaria was determined. Key problems of assessment and mapping of ecosystem services in Russian and Bulgarian mountain protected areas were recognised, mainly related to the shortage and quality of baseline data. At the same time, there were also some specifics for the two countries due to their size and national legislation. Like many other mountainous regions in the world, the Rhodopes in Bulgaria and the Altai Mountains in Russia are flagships in the improvement of nature conservation strategies. These regions often participate in a variety of international conservation programmes and are constantly expanding the range of protected areas. It is generally accepted that the Altai Mountains and the Rhodopes are not only centres of biodiversity richness in their countries, but also hotspots of a variety of ecosystem services.

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Economic valuation and mapping of Ecosystem Services in the context of protected area management (Natural Park of Serra de São Mamede, Portugal)

One Ecosystem ◽

10.3897/oneeco.3.e26722 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cristina Marta-Pedroso ◽

Lia Laporta ◽

Ivo Gama ◽

Tiago Domingos

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Crop Production ◽

Economic Value ◽

Market Price ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Data Availability ◽

Primary Data ◽

Natural Park

Demonstrating economic benefits generated by protected areas is often pointed out as pivotal for supporting decision-making. We argue in this paper that the concept of ecosystem services (ES), defined as the benefits humans derive from ecosystems, provides a consistent framework to approach this issue as it links ecosystem functioning and benefits, including benefits with economic value. This study aimed at providing evidence on how to bring the economic value of protected areas to the decision-making process and contributing to extend current EU Member States' experience in mapping and assessing the economic value of ES in the context of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 (Action 5). In doing so, we used the Natural Park of Serra de S. Mamede (PNSSM), located in the Alentejo NUTS II region, as a case study. We followed a three-step approach to pursue our goals, entailing stakeholders' engagement for selecting relevant ES (through a participatory workshop), biophysical mapping of ES flows (based on a multi-tiered approach depending on data availability) and spatial economic estimation of such flows (using value transfer, willingness-to-pay and market price methods). Our results indicate that the ES with highest economic value are not always the ones with higher perceived value by stakeholders. For most ES, the economic value increased with increasing protection level within the park, except for the crop production service. Although no formal uncertainty or sensitivity analysis has been performed, the following range is based on a critical assessment of non-primary data used. We estimated the aggregate annual value of PNSSM to be 11 to 33M€/year (representing 0.1 to 0.3% of the regional NUTSII Alentejo Gross Domestic Product). Our findings reinforce the need to adopt mixes of monetary and non-monetary valuation processes and not to rely just on one approach or measure of value while bringing ES into protected areas management.

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Valuation of ecosystem services at selected Protected Areas in the Carpathians

SciVee ◽

10.4016/11912.01 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

David Strobel

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Protected Areas ◽

The Carpathians ◽

Valuation Of Ecosystem Services

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Comparing the social values of ecosystem services in US and Australian marine protected areas

Ecosystem Services ◽

10.1016/j.ecoser.2019.100919 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 ◽

pp. 100919 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Dana N. Johnson ◽

Carena J. van Riper ◽

Maria Chu ◽

Sophia Winkler-Schor

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Social Values ◽

The Social

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Globalization and Biodiversity Conservation Problems: Polycentric REDD+ Solutions

Land ◽

10.3390/land8020035 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 35 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mwangi Githiru ◽

Josephine Njambuya

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Well Being ◽

Great Chance ◽

Free Rider Problem ◽

The Face ◽

Negative Impacts

Protected areas are considered the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, but face multiple problems in delivering this core objective. The growing trend of framing biodiversity and protected area values in terms of ecosystem services and human well-being may not always lead to biodiversity conservation. Although globalization is often spoken about in terms of its adverse effects to the environment and biodiversity, it also heralds unprecedented and previously inaccessible opportunities linked to ecosystem services. Biodiversity and related ecosystem services are amongst the common goods hardest hit by globalization. Yet, interconnectedness between people, institutions, and governments offers a great chance for globalization to play a role in ameliorating some of the negative impacts. Employing a polycentric governance approach to overcome the free-rider problem of unsustainable use of common goods, we argue here that REDD+, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) climate change mitigation scheme, could be harnessed to boost biodiversity conservation in the face of increasing globalization, both within classic and novel protected areas. We believe this offers a timely example of how an increasingly globalized world connects hitherto isolated peoples, with the ability to channel feelings and forces for biodiversity conservation. Through the global voluntary carbon market, REDD+ can enable and empower, on the one hand, rural communities in developing countries contribute to mitigation of a global problem, and on the other, individuals or societies in the West to help save species they may never see, yet feel emotionally connected to.

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Limitations of Protected Areas Zoning in Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes Under the Ecosystem Services Approach

Ecosystems ◽

10.1007/s10021-014-9788-y ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 17 (7) ◽

pp. 1202-1215 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Ignacio Palomo ◽

Berta Martín-López ◽

Paloma Alcorlo ◽

Carlos Montes

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Cultural Landscapes

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Scientific and local ecological knowledge, shaping perceptions towards protected areas and related ecosystem services

Landscape Ecology ◽

10.1007/s10980-020-01107-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (11) ◽

pp. 2549-2567 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. A. Cebrián-Piqueras ◽

A. Filyushkina ◽

D. N. Johnson ◽

V. B. Lo ◽

M. D. López-Rodríguez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Human Nature ◽

Landscape Change ◽

Local Ecological Knowledge ◽

Social Representation ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Path Modeling ◽

Nature Protection

Abstract Context Most protected areas are managed based on objectives related to scientific ecological knowledge of species and ecosystems. However, a core principle of sustainability science is that understanding and including local ecological knowledge, perceptions of ecosystem service provision and landscape vulnerability will improve sustainability and resilience of social-ecological systems. Here, we take up these assumptions in the context of protected areas to provide insight on the effectiveness of nature protection goals, particularly in highly human-influenced landscapes. Objectives We examined how residents’ ecological knowledge systems, comprised of both local and scientific, mediated the relationship between their characteristics and a set of variables that represented perceptions of ecosystem services, landscape change, human-nature relationships, and impacts. Methods We administered a face-to-face survey to local residents in the Sierra de Guadarrama protected areas, Spain. We used bi- and multi-variate analysis, including partial least squares path modeling to test our hypotheses. Results Ecological knowledge systems were highly correlated and were instrumental in predicting perceptions of water-related ecosystem services, landscape change, increasing outdoors activities, and human-nature relationships. Engagement with nature, socio-demographics, trip characteristics, and a rural–urban gradient explained a high degree of variation in ecological knowledge. Bundles of perceived ecosystem services and impacts, in relation to ecological knowledge, emerged as social representation on how residents relate to, understand, and perceive landscapes. Conclusions Our findings provide insight into the interactions between ecological knowledge systems and their role in shaping perceptions of local communities about protected areas. These results are expected to inform protected area management and landscape sustainability.

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