1,721,057 research outputs found
Has the value of global marine and coastal ecosystem services changed?
No full textIn 1997, Robert Costanza and his colleagues published a groundbreaking study [1] that estimated the monetary value of the contribution of the world's ecosystems to human wellbeing. The methods used were cited as preliminary and received considerable criticism [2] and [3]. In two more recent peer-reviewed studies [4] and [5], the authors update the original estimates of ecosystem service value and find: (1) that original per area ecosystem service values were underestimated and (2) using these revised per area values, the total global value of ecosystem services has declined. Just under ninety-five percent of the estimated loss in ecosystem service value comes from revisions by the authors in the value estimates of marine ecosystem services. These revisions include additional per area value estimates of coral reefs and coastal wetlands that are many times the value of estimates used in the original analysis. The reasons cited by Costanza et al. for the increases in revised value estimates are examined and rejected. The data are found to be insufficient for a rigorous estimate of the global value of marine ecosystems services
Coastal capital: ecosystem valuation for decision making in the Caribbean
No full textCoastal ecosystems are valuable to people and economies across the Caribbean, but are threatened by human pressures. Ecosystem valuation can make the economic case for protection of coastal ecosystems, but in many cases valuation studies have had a limited impact on decision making regarding coastal resource use in the Caribbean. Drawing on the lessons learned from coastal valuations that have successfully informed decision making in the Caribbean, this guidebook leads valuation practitioners through the three phases of a valuation effort to inform decision making: 1. Scoping; 2. Analysis; 3. Outreach and Use of Result
Developing a Framework for Blue Carbon Payments
No full textReferred to collectively as ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems, salt marshes, seagrasses and mangroves sequester and store significant amounts of carbon which, when destroyed or degraded, release CO2 into the atmosphere contributing to climate change. The long term sustainable future of these ecosystems may rely in part, on the development of a framework to aid in the process of acquiring payments to protect and restore these ecosystems. Blue carbon ecosystems provide numerous values, services and benefits to humans; however, many of the services are not traded in a marketplace and are unvalued, which has led to overutilization and exploitation. This paper examines the concept of payments for blue carbon protection through the lens of three blue carbon research sites in Abu Dhabi, Madagascar and Mozambique. A literature review, coupled with research and interviews with practitioners at the three blue carbon research sites served to inform the development of this paper.
The overarching goal of payments for blue carbon is to aid in the protection of these vital ecosystems while also providing resources and a means for the people living in these sensitive areas. This paper uncovers various opportunities, constraints and issues of uncertainty related to financing blue carbon protection through the sale of carbon offsets from blue carbon ecosystems. These issues are applied and examined in the context of three blue carbon research sites to uncover potential solutions
Developing Guidelines for a Blue Carbon Toolkit
Get PDFBlue carbon describes the carbon sequestration potential and ecosystem services associated with coastal ecosystems including mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes. In countries without established marine protected areas or active restoration efforts, blue carbon may serve as a mechanism for preventing coastal destruction, which increases shoreline vulnerability and negatively affects the species native to these habitats. Additional benefits of blue carbon include increased national and international climate change mitigation efforts. Blue carbon works by creating markets that shift a country’s economic incentive away from destructive activities toward protecting their critical ecosystems. This paper evaluates the demand for information and current challenges facing three Global Environment Facility Blue Forests pilot projects in order to provide guidelines for the development of a blue carbon “toolkit.”
A user-friendly toolkit aimed at project managers and field ecologists would help them to show various approaches to blue carbon, to determine which protocols best fit the social and political conditions of their site, and to identify field work that may be required to pursue the chosen protocol. Blue Forests demonstration projects in Abu Dhabi, Ecuador, and Madagascar, were analyzed in addition to an extensive literature review to understand the most functional approach to organizing blue carbon resources in a toolkit
Gaps and challenges of the European network of protected sites in the marine realm
No full textThe Natura 2000 network forms the cornerstone of the biodiversity conservation strategy of the European Union and is the largest coordinated network of protected areas (PAs) in the world. Here, we demonstrated that the network fails to adequately cover the marine environment and meet the conservation target of 10% set by the Convention on Biological Diversity. The relative percentage of marine surface cover varies significantly among member states. Interestingly, the relative cover of protected seascape was significantly lower for member states with larger exclusive economic zones. Our analyses demonstrated that the vast majority (93%) of the Natura 2000 sites that cover marine waters include both a terrestrial and a marine component. As a result, the majority of the protected surfaces is adjacent to the coastline, and decreases offshore; only 20% of Natura marine PAs is at depths >200 m. The lack of systematic planning processes is further reflected by the great variability in the distances among protected sites and the limited number of shared Natura sites among member states. Moreover
Towards More Standardization in the Collecting and Reporting of Marine Ecosystem Service Valuations
No full textOver the past two decades the valuation literature for coastal and marine resources has rapidly expanded. This has led to a wealth of valuation estimates for policy makers and resource managers to incorporate into their decision making. The rapid growth of the literature has been supported by a wide variety of approaches, methodologies, and contexts leading to a broad and diverse field. Although the diversity of the field can lead to innovative ideas and perspectives, the variations in approaches and reporting has also lead to uncertainty and differing interpretations of values.
This Master’s Project works with the Marine Ecosystem Services Partnership (MESP) and their partner the World Resources Institute (WRI). The purpose was to analyze the current state of ecosystem services valuation and the feasibility of bringing standards to the field. Standards could help improve the reliability of estimates, increase comparability of studies, and encourage better communication within the field.
A three part study, this project 1) analyzes the MESP database of values for gaps and trends, 2) interviews economists to gather their views on standardization, 3) interviews data users of the WRI Coastal Capital project to see how they have used the project and how they would improve it going forward. This Master’s Project focuses on three ecosystems: coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses. At the end of the project, recommendations were given to the MESP on how they could improve their database and ways to better facilitate a discussion concerning the needs, obstacles and opportunities surrounding standardization
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