This document discusses the importance of ecosystem service valuation tools for municipal and regional decision makers. It provides an overview of the multi-step process involved in valuing ecosystem services related to policy changes. The document also outlines some of the challenges with ecosystem service valuation, including difficulties isolating services at a local level and integrating multiple disciplines. It reviews several existing web-based tools and databases available for conducting valuations and benefit transfers. Overall, the document advocates for continued development and standardization of ecosystem service valuation methods and tools to better inform environmental decision making.
Healthy ecosystems provide a variety of such critical goods and services. Created by the interactions of living organisms with their environment, these “ecosystem services” provide both the conditions and processes that sustain human life. The awareness of ecosystem services’ importance in human life styles started more than 2500 years ago. Economists have developed different ways to measure the economic value of the nature, all of which required extrapolation or assumptions.
Ignorance, Institutions and Market Failure are the main reasons to the under-protected status of Ecosystem Services. The environment provides critically important services. Some of these are captured by markets, but many are not. They are positive externalities that are therefore regarded by the beneficiaries as free. As a result, many ecosystem services tend to be both under-conserved and undervalued. If beneficiaries had to pay for explicit service provision, however, governments would think differently about their policies and property owners would think very differently about sustainable land management practices. In basic economic terms, payments for ecosystem services (PES) seek to “get the incentives right” by capturing the positive externalities, by providing accurate signals to both service providers and users that reflect the real social benefits that ecosystem services deliver.
Voluntary agreements between buyers and sellers of ecosystem services for cash or other rewards creating markets for ecosystem services which provide incentives and finance to land and resource managers and thereby strengthening conservation and livelihoods are called as PES.
Wide range of potential buyers and sellers are available depending on the ecosystem service. When the market fails to reward on-site ecosystem service providers, or to compensate them for their costs (e.g. changing land use) charge off-site users for the benefits they enjoy (e.g. clean water) PES create a market for natural resources making conservation a more profitable land-use proposition. Information, technical barriers, policy and regulation and institutional barriers are the major challenges in implementing PES.
Creating economic incentives that encourage PES schemes, including environmental taxes and subsidies, transferable discharge permits and environmental labelling, developing specific PES projects with farmers, foresters and/or fisher folks in their region, or their watershed and providing incentives for the private sector to engage in PES schemes are some recommendations for a better PES system.
These slides cover the purposes for ecosystem service valuation (ESV), methods for valuation, examples of valuation studies, and government regulation and program related to ESV.
Ecosystem services are the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems. They are indispensable to the well-being of all living organisms, everywhere in the world. They include provisioning, regulating, and cultural services that directly affect people, and supporting services needed to maintain the other services (Anon., 2005). From the availability of adequate food and water, to disease regulation of vectors, pests, and pathogens, human well-being depends on these services and conditions from the natural environment. Ecosystem services depend on ecosystem conditions, and if these are impacted via pressures, consequently ecosystem services will be as well (Daily G, 1997). Human use of all ecosystem services is growing rapidly. Approximately 60% of the ecosystem services (including 70% of regulating and cultural services) are being degraded or used unsustainably. Certain changes place the sustained delivery of ecosystem services at risk. Human activity is impairing and destroying ecosystem services. Services by the ecosystem are facing some serious threats from urbanization, climate change and introduction of invasive species and pathogens which have come into existence through human activities (Anon., 1997). Ecosystem evaluation is a tool used in determining the impact of human activities on an environmental system, by assigning an economic value to an ecosystem or its ecosystem services. Ecosystem values are measures of how important ecosystem services are to people – what they are worth. Economists classify ecosystem values into several types. The two main categories are use values and non-use, or passive use values. Whereas use values are based on actual use of the environment, non-use values are values that are not associated with actual use, or even an option to use, an ecosystem or its services (Brookshire, et al.,1983). There are several methods of valuation of environmental assets, goods and amenities, services and functions like market price method, productivity method, hedonic pricing method, travel cost method and contingent valuation method.
The environment provides humans with everything we need to survive. This presentation looks at the services ecosystems deliver humanity and the importance of conserving plant biomass and diversity in order to maintain those services
Healthy ecosystems provide a variety of such critical goods and services. Created by the interactions of living organisms with their environment, these “ecosystem services” provide both the conditions and processes that sustain human life. The awareness of ecosystem services’ importance in human life styles started more than 2500 years ago. Economists have developed different ways to measure the economic value of the nature, all of which required extrapolation or assumptions.
Ignorance, Institutions and Market Failure are the main reasons to the under-protected status of Ecosystem Services. The environment provides critically important services. Some of these are captured by markets, but many are not. They are positive externalities that are therefore regarded by the beneficiaries as free. As a result, many ecosystem services tend to be both under-conserved and undervalued. If beneficiaries had to pay for explicit service provision, however, governments would think differently about their policies and property owners would think very differently about sustainable land management practices. In basic economic terms, payments for ecosystem services (PES) seek to “get the incentives right” by capturing the positive externalities, by providing accurate signals to both service providers and users that reflect the real social benefits that ecosystem services deliver.
Voluntary agreements between buyers and sellers of ecosystem services for cash or other rewards creating markets for ecosystem services which provide incentives and finance to land and resource managers and thereby strengthening conservation and livelihoods are called as PES.
Wide range of potential buyers and sellers are available depending on the ecosystem service. When the market fails to reward on-site ecosystem service providers, or to compensate them for their costs (e.g. changing land use) charge off-site users for the benefits they enjoy (e.g. clean water) PES create a market for natural resources making conservation a more profitable land-use proposition. Information, technical barriers, policy and regulation and institutional barriers are the major challenges in implementing PES.
Creating economic incentives that encourage PES schemes, including environmental taxes and subsidies, transferable discharge permits and environmental labelling, developing specific PES projects with farmers, foresters and/or fisher folks in their region, or their watershed and providing incentives for the private sector to engage in PES schemes are some recommendations for a better PES system.
These slides cover the purposes for ecosystem service valuation (ESV), methods for valuation, examples of valuation studies, and government regulation and program related to ESV.
Ecosystem services are the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems. They are indispensable to the well-being of all living organisms, everywhere in the world. They include provisioning, regulating, and cultural services that directly affect people, and supporting services needed to maintain the other services (Anon., 2005). From the availability of adequate food and water, to disease regulation of vectors, pests, and pathogens, human well-being depends on these services and conditions from the natural environment. Ecosystem services depend on ecosystem conditions, and if these are impacted via pressures, consequently ecosystem services will be as well (Daily G, 1997). Human use of all ecosystem services is growing rapidly. Approximately 60% of the ecosystem services (including 70% of regulating and cultural services) are being degraded or used unsustainably. Certain changes place the sustained delivery of ecosystem services at risk. Human activity is impairing and destroying ecosystem services. Services by the ecosystem are facing some serious threats from urbanization, climate change and introduction of invasive species and pathogens which have come into existence through human activities (Anon., 1997). Ecosystem evaluation is a tool used in determining the impact of human activities on an environmental system, by assigning an economic value to an ecosystem or its ecosystem services. Ecosystem values are measures of how important ecosystem services are to people – what they are worth. Economists classify ecosystem values into several types. The two main categories are use values and non-use, or passive use values. Whereas use values are based on actual use of the environment, non-use values are values that are not associated with actual use, or even an option to use, an ecosystem or its services (Brookshire, et al.,1983). There are several methods of valuation of environmental assets, goods and amenities, services and functions like market price method, productivity method, hedonic pricing method, travel cost method and contingent valuation method.
The environment provides humans with everything we need to survive. This presentation looks at the services ecosystems deliver humanity and the importance of conserving plant biomass and diversity in order to maintain those services
Ecosystem services for biodiversity conservation and sustainable agricultureExternalEvents
The presentation by Dr. Abigael Otinga (University of Eldoret) outlines the concept of “ecosystem services” and particularly their relevance not only for biodiversity conservation but also for ensuring sustainable production of healthy and abundant crops. The presentation was given at a national training workshops for stakeholders involved in the revision of the Kenya NBSAP that was held at ICRAF in Nairobi, 25-26 May 2016. More information on the event are available at: www.fao.org/africa/news/detail-news/en/c/417489/ .
Why and how do we evaluate ecosystems, Nature is the source of much value to us every day, and yet it mostly bypasses markets, escapes pricing and defies valuation. This lack of valuation is an underlying cause for ecological degradation and loss of biodiversity. Globally, efforts are being made to assess impact of conservation or degradation of ecological resources and a new term Green Gross Domestic Product (GGDP) has also been coined to reflect the same.
Valuing Nature: A Survey of the Non Market Valuation Literature
Mitchell L. Mathis
Houston Advanced Research Center
Allen A. Fawcett
University of Texas, Austin
Laura S. Konda
University of Texas, Austin
VNT
03 01 November 2003
Climate change , it's impacts and adaption in NepalPrajjwalKoirala
Changing climate always has been a necessary topic and its a real thing happening around us. Its impact is seen in many field. But this slide mainly focuses on the agriculture faculty of climate change. And how Nepal is adapting to its impacts.
Important conceptual concerns, economic foundations of environmental valuation, scarcity, useful approaches for different environmental problems, and cautions.
John Dixon
Theme 4 - Climate Change Mitigation and AdaptationCIFOR-ICRAF
This presentation by Christopher Martius, Henry Neufeldt, Glenn Hyman and Laura Snook focuses on the objectives and structure of the climate change adaptation and mitigation program of the FTA Research Program, their evolution over time, the major accomplishments and the main obstacles and challenges.
Ecosystem services for biodiversity conservation and sustainable agricultureExternalEvents
The presentation by Dr. Abigael Otinga (University of Eldoret) outlines the concept of “ecosystem services” and particularly their relevance not only for biodiversity conservation but also for ensuring sustainable production of healthy and abundant crops. The presentation was given at a national training workshops for stakeholders involved in the revision of the Kenya NBSAP that was held at ICRAF in Nairobi, 25-26 May 2016. More information on the event are available at: www.fao.org/africa/news/detail-news/en/c/417489/ .
Why and how do we evaluate ecosystems, Nature is the source of much value to us every day, and yet it mostly bypasses markets, escapes pricing and defies valuation. This lack of valuation is an underlying cause for ecological degradation and loss of biodiversity. Globally, efforts are being made to assess impact of conservation or degradation of ecological resources and a new term Green Gross Domestic Product (GGDP) has also been coined to reflect the same.
Valuing Nature: A Survey of the Non Market Valuation Literature
Mitchell L. Mathis
Houston Advanced Research Center
Allen A. Fawcett
University of Texas, Austin
Laura S. Konda
University of Texas, Austin
VNT
03 01 November 2003
Climate change , it's impacts and adaption in NepalPrajjwalKoirala
Changing climate always has been a necessary topic and its a real thing happening around us. Its impact is seen in many field. But this slide mainly focuses on the agriculture faculty of climate change. And how Nepal is adapting to its impacts.
Important conceptual concerns, economic foundations of environmental valuation, scarcity, useful approaches for different environmental problems, and cautions.
John Dixon
Theme 4 - Climate Change Mitigation and AdaptationCIFOR-ICRAF
This presentation by Christopher Martius, Henry Neufeldt, Glenn Hyman and Laura Snook focuses on the objectives and structure of the climate change adaptation and mitigation program of the FTA Research Program, their evolution over time, the major accomplishments and the main obstacles and challenges.
'Presentation Kettunen & ten Brink at Iddri May 07 on the Values of Biodiversity Related Ecosystem Services. Enhancing the integration of biodiversity into policy and decision-making
"One key to successful leadership is continuous personal change. Personal change is a reflection of our inner growth and empowerment."
— Robert E. Quinn
The growth leads to the depletion of natural resources of the planet. One of them is wood. We use unnecessary paper! Too much mess! Beware of CO2 imbalance... The immediate solution to stop destroying forests: dematerialization of exchanges with legal convincing value. Zero paper! The electronic originals are sealed and encrypted in a nominative and communicating electronic safe. The identification of counterparts is made via Magicaxess, a new high tech of identification WITHOUT having to download a digital certificate!
Based on World Resources Report, "Ecosystem Services: A Guide for Decision Makers" (http://www.wri.org/publication/ecosystem-services-a-guide-for-decision-makers)
A presentation given at the WLE Ganges Focal Region writeshop in 2014 on the Ecosystem Services and Resilience Framework (ESR). Put together and presented by Sarah Jones of Bioversity International.
Watershed Conference - "The value nature vs the nature of value" - 2006Steve McKinney
The historical perspective of what today is considered the modern study of environmental economics begins with problems proposed by Garret Hardin in his famous essay "The Tragedy of the Commons" in 1968. Many scientists, engineers, and economists have proposed methods of assessing the value of the natural environment since this time. This presentation will discuss many of these methods with specific focus on application of substitute cost method and its potential for application in stormwater management and mitigation.
From 27-29 October 2014, WLE, in cooperation with the CGIAR Systemwide Program on Collective Action and Property Rights (CAPRI) and the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees, and Agroforestry (FTA), held a workshop on Institutions for Ecosystems Services in Washington DC.
The goals of the workshop were to:
-Encourage sharing and discussion on research methods and tools to study the links between institutions and ecosystem services
-Synthesize lessons about institutional arrangements needed to ensure that ecosystem services projects are able to deliver benefits to local resource users and produce local, regional, and national global environmental benefits
-Identify policies and program interventions that can strengthen these institutions
-Outline priorities for future research, policy, and project implementation, particularly of relevance for PIM, WLE, and FTA programs
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Scene-setting presentation by Paul EKINS, Professor, UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London (UCL); Co-Chair, GGKP Expert Working Group on Natural Capital
Transfer and generalization of monetary estimatesOECD Environment
OECD Workshop on socioeconomic impact assessment of chemicals management, ECHA, Helsinki July 6-8 2016 Possibilities and challenges in transfer and generalization of monetary estimates for environmental and health benefits of regulating chemicals
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School of Economics and Business
Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
When you hear the word, retrofitting, many images come to mind. One in particular is the idea of rummaging around your parent’s closet in search of 70s or 80s disco duds and then trying them on... Instead, this is my working definition, if you will.
Similar to Ecosystem Service Valuation winslow (20)
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These slides cover present value calculations and then dynamic efficiency for non-renewable resource extraction. This is illustrated using a two-period model with examples using both graphs and Excel spreadsheets.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 4DianaGray10
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The UiPath Test Manager overview with SAP heatmap webinar offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the role of a Test Manager within SAP environments, coupled with the utilization of heatmaps for effective testing strategies.
Participants will gain insights into the responsibilities, challenges, and best practices associated with test management in SAP projects. Additionally, the webinar delves into the significance of heatmaps as a visual aid for identifying testing priorities, areas of risk, and resource allocation within SAP landscapes. Through this session, attendees can expect to enhance their understanding of test management principles while learning practical approaches to optimize testing processes in SAP environments using heatmap visualization techniques
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into SAP testing best practices
2. Heatmap utilization for testing
3. Optimization of testing processes
4. Demo
Topics covered:
Execution from the test manager
Orchestrator execution result
Defect reporting
SAP heatmap example with demo
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Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
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Let me take this questions and provide you a short journey through existing deployment models and use cases for AI software. On practical examples, we discuss what cloud/on-premise strategy we may need for applying it to our own infrastructure to get it to work from an enterprise perspective. I want to give an overview about infrastructure requirements and technologies, what could be beneficial or limiting your AI use cases in an enterprise environment. An interactive Demo will give you some insides, what approaches I got already working for real.
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https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
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The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
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https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
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https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
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2. Importance of ES for Municipal/Regional
Decision Makers
• Ecosystems and their services are inextricably
tied to the public domain due in part to the public
goods nature of many ecosystem services.
• Ecosystems are being degraded at a high rate –
climate change exacerbating this ES are
growing scarcer
• Demand for ecosystem services is increasing
– Population growth
– Improvement in living standards
3. Multiple Purposes for ESV in Relation to Policy
Making
Monitor changes in natural capital and the impact
of this on human welfare ex. Natural Capital Accounting
Natural Resource Damage Assessment
Evaluation of proposed policies/projects
Cost-
Benefit
Analysis
Cost-
Effectivenes
s Analysis
Multi-
criteria
Analysis
PES
4. Multi-Step Process in Ecosystem Service
Valuation Related to Policy Changes
Economic
Value of
Changes
Impact on
Human
Welfare
Changes in
Ecosystem
Services
Ecosystem
Impacts
Policy
Change
Challenging
6. Obstacles and Limitations
• Difficult to circumscribe and isolate ES at local level.
• Provisioning and flow of ES cut across policy-relevant
boundaries.
• Challenging to conduct ES research that is applicable in
policy contexts.
– Requires integration of multiple disciplines
– Methodology issues can affect credibility of valuation estimates
• Full CBA is sometimes precluded by legislative standards.
• Lack of consensus on goals in environmental regulation:
efficiency? justice? job creation? etc.
7. Data Collection Costs
• Decision makers need to compare the cost of collecting
ecosystem service data relative to the increased efficiency of
the program due to this data.
– A South African based study by Grantham et al. (2008) found that a
small investment in ecosystem data for conservation planning can
improve project performance, there is a diminishing return to
investment.
– Other South African studies supported these findings and also
suggested that the way information is shared can be as important as
the amount of information collected. (Tallis and Polansky, 2011)
• Farber et al (2006): “Full modeling is costly in terms of data
and measurability requirements. A practical alternative is to
consider service changes, or gradients, from the status quo
provided by a finite set of options. This may not provide for
the global optimum, but may result in the choice of superior
management options within a viable set of those
options”(p.118).
8. Methods for Assigning Monetary Value to Ecosystem Services
Revealed-preference Stated-preference Cost-based
Market methods: Valuations are
directly obtained from what
people must be willing to pay for
the service or good.
Contingent valuation: People
are directly asked their
willingness to pay or accept
compensation for some change
in ecological service.
Replacement costs: The loss of a
natural system service is
evaluated in terms of what it
would cost to replace that
service.
Production approaches: Service
values are assigned from the
impacts of those services on
economic out-puts (e.g.,
increased shrimp yields from
increased area of wetlands).
Conjoint analysis: People are
asked to choose or rank different
service scenarios or ecological
conditions that differ in the mix
of those conditions.
Avoidance or Damage costs: A
service is valued on the basis of
costs avoided, or of the extent to
which it allows the avoidance of
costly averting behaviors,
including mitigation.
Travel cost: Valuations of site-
based amenities are implied by
the costs people incur to enjoy
them
Hedonic methods: The value of
a service is implied by what
people will be willing to pay for
the service through purchases in
related markets, such as housing
markets. (from Farber et al. 2006, pg. 120)
9. Benefits or Value Transfer
Use the
ecosystem
service values
from one or a
series of studies
to estimate
the values in
a similar area
or situation
Better: Benefit Function Transfer
10. Databases for Benefit Transfer
• EVRI: Environmental
Valuation Reference
Inventory (Environment
Canada with support
from USEPA)
– Searchable database of
~2400 studies with
summaries included.
• EarthEconomics,
non-profit, Tacoma
WA
– Researches Library
11. Current Web-based Tools
• InVEST: Integrated Valuation of Environmental
Services and Tradeoffs
• ARIES: Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services
12. Current Web-based Tools Cont.
• EarthEconomics:
– EVT: Ecosystem Valuation Toolkit
– SERVES: Simple and Effective Resource for
Valuing Ecosystem Services
• Others
– regionally focused or
– cover just one or two ecosystem services
• Consulting firms have proprietary tools –
ex. EcoMetrix, EcoAim, ESValue
13. EPA’s EnviroAtlas
• Web-based mapping application that allows users to view
and analyze multiple ecosystem services in a specific area
• EnviroAtlas can be used to forecast impacts on natural
resources due to future population growth and climate change
14. ESV tools are under development but are still not ready for off-
the-shelf use for more than single ecosystem service valuation.
Federal agencies are investing in developing better metrics, tools,
and decision guidelines.
These improvements could trickle down to the local level.
USGS/BLM Pilot of Tools 2012: “Ecosystem Services
Valuation to Support Decisionmaking on Public
Lands—A Case Study of the San Pedro River
Watershed, Arizona” (Ken Bagstad et al.)
Broad Conclusions
15. USGS/BLM Pilot of Tools 2012 (Ken Bagstad et al.)
To help solidify the field, decision makers need:
1. Development and support of data archives
2. Agreement on metrics
3. Training and education on understanding and accepting
uncertainty in relation to ESV
4. Training on tools and valuation and coordination with tool
developers
5. Policy guidance on when to use ESV tools and tool choice
6. Credible, Replicable and Legally defensible ESV tools
16. ESV Federal Focus in the Future
SUSTAINING ENVIRONMENTAL CAPITAL:
PROTECTING SOCIETY AND THE
ECONOMY
Executive Office of the President
President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
JULY 2011
17. WRI Survey: Are Ecosystem Services Being
Addressed in Environmental Decision Making?
A 2010 online survey by WRI of 171 environmental
consultants, government employees, NGOs found:
• 79% of respondents knew about ecosystem services
• 40% have seen ecosystem services addressed in
environmental assessment
– Freshwater is the main service that is addressed
• Main perceived barrier is lack of guidance
on how to address ecosystem services
18. Broader Debate Over Using ESV
• Practical: Is some number better than no
number? How to deal with uncertainty?
– How much accuracy is needed?
– What are costs of incorrect decision?
– ESV helps inform decisions but does not make
decisions.
• Philosophical: Don’t ecosystems have
untold value?
– But will these be included if no number is
attached?
19. Primary References
Bagstad, K.J., Semmens, D., Winthrop, R., Jaworski, D., and Larson, J. (2012). Ecosystem
Services Valuation to Support Decisionmaking on Public Lands — A Case Study of the San
Pedro River Watershed , Arizona Scientific Investigations Report 2012 − 5251. Arizona.
Barbier, E. B. (2011b). Challenges in valuing ecosystem services. World Forum 2011.
Daily, G. C., Polasky, S., Goldstein, J., Kareiva, P. M., Mooney, H. a, Pejchar, L., Ricketts, T. H., et
al. (2009). Ecosystem services in decision making: time to deliver. Frontiers in Ecology and the
Environment, 7(1), 21–28.
Iovanna, R., & Griffiths, C. (2006). Clean water, ecological benefits, and benefits transfer: A work in
progress at the U.S. EPA. Ecological Economics, 60(2), 473–482.
doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2006.06.012
Liu, S., Costanza, R., Farber, S., & Troy, A. (2010). Valuing ecosystem services: theory, practice,
and the need for a transdisciplinary synthesis. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
1185, 54–78.
Scarlett, L., & Boyd, J. (2011). Ecosystem Services : Capabilities, (March).
Tallis, H., &Polasky, S. (2009). Mapping and valuing ecosystem services as an approach for
conservation and natural-resource management. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
1162, 265–83.
Editor's Notes
In relation to Lake Erie, the value of lost ecosystem services could be calculated, the costs of damages could be assessed for polluters, CBA could be done for policies to manage the pollution.
PLUS “valuing multiple ecosystem services typically multiplies the difficulty of evaluation” Chief Challenge: “lies in providing an explicit description and adequate assessment of the links between the structure and functions of natural systems, the benefits (i.e., goods and services) derived by humanity, and their subsequent values” (p. 73)
(from Farber et al. 2006, pg. 120)
– basic bibliographic information– information about the location of the study along with population and site data– fields that describe the environmental asset being valued, the stressors on the environment, and the specific purpose of the study– technical information on the actual study, along with the specific techniques that were used to arrive at the results– the monetary values that are presented in the study as well as the specific units of measure
Natural Capital Project (Stanford) –
Natural Capital Project (Stanford) –
“The tool provides information community decision makers need to make strategic choices about development and environmental policy, based on a more comprehensive understanding of the interactions between human activities and the many goods and services (often referred to as “ecosystem services”) that people derive from nature.” The EnviroAtlas will also feature detailed data on 50 to 250 cities and towns across the country. The community component of the EnviroAtlas will provide fine-scale information linking human health and well-being to environmental conditions such as urban heat islands, near-road pollution, and other quality of life indicators.
We are making a value judgment if ecosystems will be affected by a policy decision. ESV makes this explicit.