Determine conservation objects: (biodiversity-dependent) human wellbeing objects Phase I Preparation and Initial Conceptualisation Step 3 © Christina Lehmann

Determine conservation objects: (biodiversity-dependent) human

wellbeing objects

Phase I

Preparation and Initial Conceptualisation

Step 3

© Christina Lehmann 2014

3. Determine conservation objects - human wellbeing objects2

Credits and conditions of use

You are free to share this presentation and adapt it for your use under the following conditions: • You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the authors (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).• You may not use this work for commercial purposes.• If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you must remove the Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management logo, and you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar conditions to this one.

© Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management, 2014The Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management strongly recommends that this presentation is given by experts familiar with the adaptive management process in general (especially as designed as the Conservation Measures Partnership’s Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation) as well as the MARISCO Method itself.

This material was created under the leadership and responsibility of Prof. Dr. Pierre Ibisch and Dr. Peter Hobson, co-directors of the Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management, which was jointly established by Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development and Writtle College. Compare: Ibisch, P.L. & P.R. Hobson (eds.) (2014): The MARISCO method: Adaptive MAnagement of vulnerability and RISk at COnservation sites. A guidebook for risk-robust, adaptive, and ecosystem-based conservation of biodiversity. Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management, Eberswalde (ISBN 978-3-00-043244-6). 195 pp. - The Powerpoint Presentation was conceived by Christina Lehmann and Pierre Ibisch. Authors of graphs and photographs are indicated on the corresponding slides. Supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ).



Learning objectives

Participants understand the crucial strategic contribution of this step making explicit the importance of ecosystems for human well-being by the provision of ecosystem services, as well as the importance of this step in order to integrate stakeholders and to broaden the project aims for the public and further funding options.

Participants are able to derive relevant ecosystem services provided by the selected biodiversity conservation site and to categorize them due to supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural services (according to MEA).

Participants dispose of the experience to connect certain human well-being objects to defined ecosystem services of the site.


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Outline

What does determining human wellbeing objects mean?

Why do we determine human wellbeing objects?

How do we determine human wellbeing objects?

Practical Tips

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Thumbs_up_font_awesome.svg


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What does determining human wellbeing objects mean?

• Identification of beneficial services that are provided to humans by ecosystems

• Recognition of direct and indirect advantages humans experience from conserved ecosystem services

Human wellbeing through ecosystem services

• Concept developed in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment© Christina Lehmann 2015© Pierre Ibisch 2014


3. Determine conservation objects: human wellbeing objects7

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Why do we determine human wellbeing objects?

• Essential for working with stakeholders - understanding their needs and perspectives

• Reflection of the potential of a site for ecosystem-based sustainable development

• Communicating the benefits of conservation to the public

• Willingness among all stake-holders to support conser-vation must be achieved

© Christina Lehmann 2015



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Step 1)

• Identification of ecosystem services according to Millennium Ecosystem Assessment or other classifications

• To be done by categorically recording the stakeholder groups’ needs and gains from the ecosystem

Mountain-lowland ecosystem complex

Supporting services

Regulating services

Provisioning services

Cultural services

BiodiversityEcosystem

services

Mountain grassland

Cloud forest

Mountain rainforest

Lowland rainforest

Rivers and streams

Larg

e pr

edat

ors

Nutrient cycling, seed dispersal, soil formation

primary production

Carbon sequestration, water purification, local climate

regulation

Fuelwood, water, food, medicinal plants, fibre,

timber

Knowledge systems, educational and aesthetic

values, inspiration

© nach CEEM



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Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) was called for by the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2000. Initiated in 2001 (-2005), the objective of the MEA was to assess the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being and the scientific basis for action needed to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of those systems and their contribution to human well-being. The MEA has involved the work of more than 1,360 experts worldwide. Their findings, contained in five technical volumes and six synthesis reports, provide a state-of-the-art scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide (such as clean water, food, forest products, flood control, and natural resources) and the options to restore, conserve or enhance the sustainable use of ecosystems.

Check out: MEA

http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/About.html



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Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. These include provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits; andsupporting services, such as nutrient cy-cling, that maintain the conditions for life on Earth.

Check out: MEA-ES

Provisioning Services

Products obtained from ecosystems

Food Fresh water Fuelwood Fiber Biochemicals Genetic resources

Regulating Services

Benefits obtained from regulation of ecosystem

processes

Climate regulation Disease regulation Water regulation Water purification Pollination

Cultural Services

Nonmaterial benefits obtained from ecosystems

Spiritual and religious

Recreation and ecotourism

Aesthetic Inspirational Educational Sense of place Cultural heritage

Supporting Services

Services necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services

Soil formation Nutrient cycling Primary production

© nach MEA – Ecosystems and Their Services

http://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.300.aspx.pdf



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• Physical & psychological health = ultimate state of human wellbeing

• Basic for health: food security & drinking water, basic non-food materials for living well, income, security, freedom of choice, good social relations

• Completion conceptual model by connecting arrows

Step 2)

• Identification of how ecosystem services influence human well-being (classification can also be derived from MA)

Mountain-lowland ecosystem complex

Supporting services

Regulating services

Provisioning services

Cultural services

Good quality of life

BiodiversityEcosystem

servicesHuman

wellbeing

Mountain grassland

Cloud forest

Mountain rainforest

Lowland rainforest

Rivers and streams

Larg

e pr

edat

ors

Nutrient cycling, seed dispersal, soil formation

primary production

Carbon sequestration, water purification, local climate

regulation

Fuelwood, water, food, medicinal plants, fibre,

timber

Knowledge systems, educational and aesthetic

values, inspiration

Health

Food security

Safety

Socio-cultural fabric

Basis for economical

income

© nach CEEM



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Human WellbeingHuman well-being has several key components: the basic material needs for a good life, freedom and choice, health, good social relations, and personal security. Well-being exists on a continuum with poverty, which has been defined as “pronounced deprivation in well-being.”Ecosystems are essential for human well-being through their (…) services. Evidence in recent decades of escalating human impacts on ecological systems worldwide raises concerns about the consequences of ecosystem changes for human well-being.Check out: MEA-HW

Supporting

Services

Provisioning

Services

Regulating

Services

Cultural

Services

Security- Ability to live in an

environmentally clean and safe shelter

- Ability to reduce vulnerability to ecological shocks and stress

FREEDOMS AND

CHOICE

Basic Material for a Good Life- Ability to access resources

to earn income and gain a livelihood

Health- Ability to be adequately

nourished- Ability to be free from

avoidable disease- Ability to have adequate and

clean drinking water- Ability to have clean air- Ability to have energy to

keep warm and cool

Good Social Relations- Opportunity to express

aesthetic and recreational values associated with ecosystems

- Opportunity to express cultural and spiritual values associated with ecosystems

- Opportunity to observe, study, and learn about ecosystems

© nach MEA – Ecosystems and Human Well-being

http://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.301.aspx.pdf



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Guiding Questions for Ecosystem Service Assessment


Question Rationale Qualifications/ratings

Which benefit? Any such assessment is ES(ecosystem services)-specific. The initial decision is, therefore, which ES to consider. (Identity of the ES under consideration)

The basic need?

A fundamental distinction is whether an ES is basic in character (i.e., for the survival of local people, such as basic foods) or, at the other extreme, is consumed just for pleasure or serves to generate income through export from the region (e.g. tobacco). Often, however, many luxury goods can also be viewed as relevant cultural ES (e.g. coffee).

Main beneficiaries – who? Consider: producers, sellers, consumers

ES may benefit all of society (e.g. carbon storage for climate change mitigation) or, contrastingly, may benefit specific societal groups. In many ES, especially among the provisioning ES, it makes sense to assess who is involved in the supply chain. Another important aspect of an ES to take into account when developing a management strategy is the proportion of its beneficiaries compared to the entire (local) population. Basic needs (e.g. drinking water) will typically benefit most or all people of the population because they are localised, expensive, etc.

(Description of the identity of the main beneficiaries)

Main beneficiaries – how many?1. few2. some3. many4. (almost) all



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Quantity of demand – current trend?

The availability of an ES from an individual’s perspective depends on the overall demand (i.e., level of competition for the ES) by society, as well as the volume of supply delivered by the ecosystem.

1. generally increasing2. stable3. in some places increasing, in others

decreasing4. generally decreasing

Quantity of supply – sufficient?

1. enough 2. just enough3. not quite enough4. not enough

Quantity of supply – current trend?

1. generally increasing2. stable3. varies between sites 4. generally decreasing

Seasonally variable?(within one year)

Ecosystems and the ES they deliver do not persist in a stable state. Apart from the directional changes addressed by the preceding questions, there are oscillations at various rhythms that can be nested within each other. The most important temporal variation is, of course, the annual change of seasons. However, ecosystems also fluctuate between years – for example, with dynamic climatic or biotic changes.

1. available the whole year2. available most months3. available some months4. available for very few

Variable between years? 1. Same every year in the last 10 years2. Most years out of the last 10 years3. Some years out of the last 10 years4. Few years out of the last 10 years

Quality of supply – good enough?

For a number of ES, alongside quantities, it is equally important to consider the quality in which the ES are delivered. Drinking water represents an obvious example. In some ES, however, it is difficult to differentiate between quantity and quality, e.g. in cultural services like the religious meaning of an ecosystem.

1. good enough2. just good enough3. not quite good enough4. not at all good enough

Quality of supply – current trend?

1. generally increasing2. stable3. in some places increasing, in others

decreasing4. generally decreasing



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Practical Tips

• In this step it is important to stress human dependency on ecosystems and their services→ Explicitly mentioning ecosystem services as developed in the

MEA and giving a short introduction to them might help


Documents

Determine conservation objects: (biodiversity-dependent) human wellbeing objects Phase I Preparation and Initial Conceptualisation Step 3 © Christina Lehmann