Transcript Service-providing units

Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation
in Dynamic Ecosystems
(RUBICODE)
www.rubicode.net
Quantifying the contribution of organisms to
the provision of ecosystem services
For further information contact Gary Luck (email: [email protected])
Funded under the European Commission
Sixth Framework Programme
Contract Number: 036890
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Service-providing unit (SPU)
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“The collection of organisms and their characteristics
necessary to deliver a given ecosystem service at the level
required by service beneficiaries.”
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
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Loss of biodiversity is commonly characterised by species
extinction rates.
Substantial change to ecosystems and the status of
biodiversity occurs prior to species extinction.
Populations could be considered a fundamental unit of
measure.
The relationship between biodiversity and human wellbeing
is primarily a function of populations of species.
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
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A taxonomy of populations
• Evolutionary units - populations with independent
evolutionary dynamics.
• Demographic units - populations with independent
demographic dynamics (e.g. fluctuate in size asynchronously).
• Conservation units - depend on the associated conservation
goals and may be formalized through concepts like MVPs and
ESUs.
• SPUs - defined by the service it provides to humanity, and the
temporal and spatial extent of that service.
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Service-providing unit (SPU)
“The collection of organisms and their
characteristics necessary to deliver a given
ecosystem service at the level required by service
beneficiaries.”
Need to know
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• The sections of society that need/use the service.
• The level at which it is required.
• The organisms that provide the service (ecosystem
service provider – ESP).
• The characteristics of these organisms required to
provide the service at the desired level (SPU).
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Pest control in apple orchards
SPU =
Density of Parus major
breeding pairs within the
orchard that provide the service
at the required level.
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1-6 pairs/ha reduce caterpillar
damage by up to 50%.
Mols & Visser 2002. J. Appl. Ecol. 39, 888-899.
Mols & Visser 2007.. PLoS One 2(2), e202.
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Conceptual framework
1. IDENTIFICATION
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2. QUANTIFICATION
{
{
Define the ecosystem service:
• identify the ecosystem service beneficiaries
• identify the spatio-temporal scale of service delivery
• identify the ecosystem service providers (ESPs)
Quantify the ecosystem service demand:
• determine the net level of demand/need for the service
Quantify the service-providing unit (SPU):
• determine the characteristics of organisms necessary for service
provision
•quantify the relationships between SPUs and service supply
•quantify the components of biodiversity that support the SPU
Value the service as
provided by the SPU
3. APPRAISAL
{
Identify and value potential
alternatives for providing
the service
Evaluate options:
• compare valuations and examine trade-offs
• determine implications for biodiversity conservation
• determine implications for policy and sustainable livelihoods
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Seed dispersal in urban park
Need defined by:
• Cultural, recreational and
biodiversity ‘value’ of park.
• Eurasian Jay primary facilitator of
acorn germination.
• Estimate replacement cost of seed
dispersal service.
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ctmsu.sytes.net
SPU =
www.dkimages.com
A minimum of 12 resident pairs of
Eurasian Jay present each year for 14
years.
Hougner, C. et al. 2006. Ecol. Econ. 59, 364-74.
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Service provision by
functional groups
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The ESP approach:
A species’ contribution to an aggregate service is defined by
its effectiveness at performing the service and organism
abundance. Changes in aggregate service result from changes
in ESPs.
The SPU approach:
Argues for the need to understand more explicitly how
characteristics manifested at the functional-group level (e.g.
group composition) and for each member organism (e.g.
population dynamics) impact on service provision.
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Pollination of watermelon
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• Up to 30 native bees pollinate watermelon.
Contribution to pollination varies across
years and within and among crops.
• Diversity of native bee community
essential as the most functionally
important species can vary across time
and space.
SPU =
The composition of the functional group,
the functional traits of each member, the
population characteristics of each member,
and appropriate spatial and temporal
dynamics to deliver the service at the
desired level.
Kremen, C. et al. 2002. PNAS 99, 16812-16816.
Kremen, C. et al. 2004. Ecol. Lett. 7, 1109-1119.
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Manage service delivery by protecting habitat that supports native bees.
About 40% cover within 2.4km should provide entire pollination service.
Native vegetation (~ 40%)
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watermelon crop
2.4km
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Water regulation by forests
grail.cs.washington.edu
• Quantified four factors that may
influence water regulation: soil type;
slope angle; vegetation type; and the
area of each vegetation type.
• This resulted in 90 categories of
vegetation–soil–slope complexes,
with water flow regulation differing
substantially among complexes.
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SPU =
The area of a given vegetation type
occurring on a particular soil type at
a particular slope angle required to
provide the service to the level
needed by service beneficiaries.
na.unep.net
Guo et al. (2000) Ecol. Appl. 10, 925-36
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Summary
Ecosystem service
Seed dispersal
Single species
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Population
Characteristics
Density, genetics,
temporal and
spatial dynamics
Water regulation
Multiple species
Functional group
Community
Characteristics
Characteristics
Composition, traits,
population
characteristics
Type, area,
location
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
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SPU – service relationships
Key phrase = “deliver a given ecosystem service at the level
required by service beneficiaries”
– Focuses attention on quantifying the contribution made
by organisms to service delivery in relation to the needs
of beneficiaries.
– Avoids undue attention on organisms making
insubstantial contributions (i.e. it identifies the key
service providers).
– Implies that if a collection of organisms are not
contributing to service provision at the desired level they
do not constitute an SPU (i.e. a threshold level of service
delivery).
Native species
SPU – service relationships
Service provision
Level required by service beneficiaries
Exotic species
Human alternative
Level required by service beneficiaries
SPU
SPU
a
c
Level required by service beneficiaries
Level required by service beneficiaries
SPU
b
Service provider dynamics
SPU
d
Service provider dynamics
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Species interactions
www.berkeley.edu
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Greenleaf & Kremen 2006.
PNAS 103, 13890-13895.
www.cfsan.fda.gov
Perfecto & Vandermeer 2006. Agriculture, Ecosystems
and Environment 117, 218-221.
www.wildernessclassroom.com
Collen & Gibson 2001. Reviews in Fish
Biology and Fisheries 10, 439-461.
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Coping with ecosystem dynamics
Functional groups and biodiversity:
• When multiple species contribute to the same service, the
stability of service provision should be buffered against
fluctuations in the populations of the species comprising the
effect functional group.
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– Assumes diversity of responses within functional group
– Assumes quantitatively similar contributions to service provision
– Implies functional replacement among species
• Increased biodiversity is expected to secure continuation of
ecosystem processes despite environmental variability.
• A major problem in predicting the impacts of environmental
changes on ecosystem services is the individualistic responses
of service-providing organisms.
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Coping with ecosystem dynamics
Populations of key species:
• Ensure life-history, population and genetic traits are
appropriate to cope with likely changes in the environment.
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• Analogous to the MVP concept.
• Must consider factors such as resilience to environmental
variation, probability of persistence under future management
scenarios, degrees of uncertainty and acceptable levels of risk
for loss of the service.
Conceptual model
Market forces, policy,
other cultural and socioeconomic factors
+/-
Service beneficiaries
+/+/-
Environmental/land-use
change
+/-
Beneficiary demand
+/-
Service provision
+/-
+/+
Species interactions
+/SPUs
+
+ Positive interaction
Supporting systems
- Negative interaction
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Conclusions
SPUs:
• Link organisms and their characteristics to service provision
via the needs of beneficiaries.
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• Exist at various organisational levels.
• Could be considered a threshold measure, but understanding
incremental changes might still be important.
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Conclusions
• Species interactions are important for service provision.
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• Must consider ecosystem dynamics when managing for the
persistence of SPUs and the continued supply of ecosystem
services.
• Ecological complexity + socio-economic complexity
necessitates general approaches and assumptions.