Search

Search Results

• 1. [Article] Estimating Watershed Biodiversity: An Empirical Study of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, USA

  There has been increasing demand for rigorous methods for evaluating biodiversity, one of the ecosystem services that sustains and fulfills human life. After carefully examining the literature, we found ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Estimating Watershed Biodiversity: An Empirical Study of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, USA Author: Morimoto, Junko, Voinov, Helena, Wilson, Matthew A., Costanza, Robert Year: 2003 There has been increasing demand for rigorous methods for evaluating biodiversity, one of the ecosystem services that sustains and fulfills human life. After carefully examining the literature, we found three key points that should be taken into account when we evaluate biodiversity. The first point is that any "indicator species" tends to be a leaky target of biodiversity. The second point is that "buffering" that is useful for representing the ecological concept of boundaries should have scientific meanings. The third point is that a "watershed" that integrates most natural processes is advantageous as the spatial range for evaluation. Based on these considerations, we developed the Biodiversity Probability Index (BPI) to account for biodiversity. We analyzed the relationship between BPI and total economic value of ecosystem services per unit area in order to test the reliability and utility of BPI. All BPI values were under a positive regression curve. The curve showed the highest economic value that could be achieved at a given biodiversity status. Based on our findings along the analysis, we conclude that the BPI has two advantages: (1) The BPI identifies the extent of the impact on biodiversity within a given landscape, and its composition of each category of species helps to identify what kind of wild life habitat could be seriously threatened by future land use development; (2) The BPI tells not only the biodiversity condition in ecological sense, but also provides the potential total economic value of ecosystem services, which will be achieved under ideal conditions. Title: Estimating Watershed Biodiversity: An Empirical Study of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, USA Author: Morimoto, Junko, Voinov, Helena, Wilson, Matthew A., Costanza, Robert Year: 2003 There has been increasing demand for rigorous methods for evaluating biodiversity, one of the ecosystem services that sustains and fulfills human life. After carefully examining the literature, we found three key points that should be taken into account when we evaluate biodiversity. The first point is that any "indicator species" tends to be a leaky target of biodiversity. The second point is that "buffering" that is useful for representing the ecological concept of boundaries should have scientific meanings. The third point is that a "watershed" that integrates most natural processes is advantageous as the spatial range for evaluation. Based on these considerations, we developed the Biodiversity Probability Index (BPI) to account for biodiversity. We analyzed the relationship between BPI and total economic value of ecosystem services per unit area in order to test the reliability and utility of BPI. All BPI values were under a positive regression curve. The curve showed the highest economic value that could be achieved at a given biodiversity status. Based on our findings along the analysis, we conclude that the BPI has two advantages: (1) The BPI identifies the extent of the impact on biodiversity within a given landscape, and its composition of each category of species helps to identify what kind of wild life habitat could be seriously threatened by future land use development; (2) The BPI tells not only the biodiversity condition in ecological sense, but also provides the potential total economic value of ecosystem services, which will be achieved under ideal conditions. Close

• 2. [Article] Global Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

  Habitat destruction has driven much of the current biodiversity extinction crisis, and it compromises the essential benefits, or ecosystem services, that humans derive from functioning ecosystems. Securing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Global Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Author: Turner, Will R., Brandon, Katrina, Brooks, Thomas M., Costanza, Robert Year: 2007 Habitat destruction has driven much of the current biodiversity extinction crisis, and it compromises the essential benefits, or ecosystem services, that humans derive from functioning ecosystems. Securing both species and ecosystem services might be accomplished with common solutions. Yet it is unknown whether these two major conservation objectives coincide broadly enough worldwide to enable global strategies for both goals to gain synergy. In this article, we assess the concordance between these two objectives, explore how the concordance varies across different regions, and examine the global potential for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services simultaneously. We find that published global priority maps for biodiversity conservation harbor a disproportionate share of estimated terrestrial ecosystem service value (ESV). Overlap of biodiversity priorities and ESV varies among regions, and in areas that have high biodiversity priority but low ESV, specialized conservation approaches are necessary. Overall, however, our findings suggest opportunities for safeguarding both biodiversity and ecosystem services. Sensitivity analyses indicate that results are robust to known limitations of available ESV data. Capitalizing on these opportunities will require the identification of synergies at fine scales, and the development of economic and policy tools to exploit them. Title: Global Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Author: Turner, Will R., Brandon, Katrina, Brooks, Thomas M., Costanza, Robert Year: 2007 Habitat destruction has driven much of the current biodiversity extinction crisis, and it compromises the essential benefits, or ecosystem services, that humans derive from functioning ecosystems. Securing both species and ecosystem services might be accomplished with common solutions. Yet it is unknown whether these two major conservation objectives coincide broadly enough worldwide to enable global strategies for both goals to gain synergy. In this article, we assess the concordance between these two objectives, explore how the concordance varies across different regions, and examine the global potential for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services simultaneously. We find that published global priority maps for biodiversity conservation harbor a disproportionate share of estimated terrestrial ecosystem service value (ESV). Overlap of biodiversity priorities and ESV varies among regions, and in areas that have high biodiversity priority but low ESV, specialized conservation approaches are necessary. Overall, however, our findings suggest opportunities for safeguarding both biodiversity and ecosystem services. Sensitivity analyses indicate that results are robust to known limitations of available ESV data. Capitalizing on these opportunities will require the identification of synergies at fine scales, and the development of economic and policy tools to exploit them. Close

• 3. [Article] A Virtual Visit to a Sustainable 2050

  The article describes the situation in a virtual, sustainable world in 2050. Observations include stable global human population at 8 billion people, slightly decreasing material throughput of local and ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A Virtual Visit to a Sustainable 2050 Author: Costanza, Robert Year: 2010 The article describes the situation in a virtual, sustainable world in 2050. Observations include stable global human population at 8 billion people, slightly decreasing material throughput of local and global economies with an average quality of life (QOL) index at 2% per year. It also notes the lower income gaps within and between countries, the return of global biodiversity and the problem with regards to the effects of climate change. It also adds the use of internal labor equivalent trading system (LETS). Title: A Virtual Visit to a Sustainable 2050 Author: Costanza, Robert Year: 2010 The article describes the situation in a virtual, sustainable world in 2050. Observations include stable global human population at 8 billion people, slightly decreasing material throughput of local and global economies with an average quality of life (QOL) index at 2% per year. It also notes the lower income gaps within and between countries, the return of global biodiversity and the problem with regards to the effects of climate change. It also adds the use of internal labor equivalent trading system (LETS). Close

• 4. [Article] How Defining Planetary Boundaries Can Transform Our Approach to Growth

  The article focuses on the importance to identify safe boundaries based on the fundamental characteristics of our planet to address the growing threats of climate change. It highlights the rapid transition ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: How Defining Planetary Boundaries Can Transform Our Approach to Growth Author: Steffen, W. L., Rockström, Johan, Costanza, Robert Year: 2011 The article focuses on the importance to identify safe boundaries based on the fundamental characteristics of our planet to address the growing threats of climate change. It highlights the rapid transition of the planet from the stable Holocene state to an unknown future state of significantly different conditions. In addition, climate change, biodiversity loss and phosphorus production were already transgressed by humanity and require innovative frameworks and effective solutions. Title: How Defining Planetary Boundaries Can Transform Our Approach to Growth Author: Steffen, W. L., Rockström, Johan, Costanza, Robert Year: 2011 The article focuses on the importance to identify safe boundaries based on the fundamental characteristics of our planet to address the growing threats of climate change. It highlights the rapid transition of the planet from the stable Holocene state to an unknown future state of significantly different conditions. In addition, climate change, biodiversity loss and phosphorus production were already transgressed by humanity and require innovative frameworks and effective solutions. Close

• 5. [Article] Fisheries and the Coastal Marine and Island Biodiversity of the Eritrean Red Rea

  No poster available.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fisheries and the Coastal Marine and Island Biodiversity of the Eritrean Red Rea Author: Afewerki, Yonas No poster available. Title: Fisheries and the Coastal Marine and Island Biodiversity of the Eritrean Red Rea Author: Afewerki, Yonas No poster available. Close

• 6. [Article] Methodology for Measuring Environmental Efficiency in Aquaculture

  Extended abstract.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Methodology for Measuring Environmental Efficiency in Aquaculture Author: Srtivastava, Alpana Extended abstract. Title: Methodology for Measuring Environmental Efficiency in Aquaculture Author: Srtivastava, Alpana Extended abstract. Close

• 7. [Article] A Bio-Economic Model for the Viable Managementof the Coastal Fishery in French Guyana

  The coastal fishery in French Guyana is a challenging case study for the implementation of the ecosystem based fishery management. Although the current situation of this small scale fishery could be considered ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A Bio-Economic Model for the Viable Managementof the Coastal Fishery in French Guyana Author: Gourguet, Sophie, Doyen, Luc, Cisse, Abdoul, Blanchard, Fabian, Guyader, Olivier, Pereau, Jean Christophe The coastal fishery in French Guyana is a challenging case study for the implementation of the ecosystem based fishery management. Although the current situation of this small scale fishery could be considered as satisfactory, the viability of the fishery can be questioned. Indeed according to demographic scenarios, the growth of the population will generate an increase of local food demand and therefore growing fishing pressures. Moreover, there is no direct regulation for limiting the fishing catches. Models and quantitative methods to tackle this sustainability issue are still lacking for such mall-scale fisheries mainly because of the various complexities underlying the systems including the heterogeneity of the production factors, the weak selectivity of fleets and high fish biodiversity levels. In the present paper, we both use numerical simulations and a viability perspective to deal with such a problem. We first build a multi-species multi-fleets dynamic model relying on thirteen exploited species and four types of fleets. It accounts for potential trophic interactions, fishing effort and the corresponding costs and revenues. The model was fit on data collected since 2006 by Ifremer: daily production and efforts data, as well as economic data from a survey on the production costs and selling prices in 2009.The co-viability of the system under different scenarios of fishing efforts is studied through ecological and economic performances. The biological viability constraints focus on biodiversity index as species richness or trophic index while economic viability constraints intend to guarantee profitability to all the fleets. Title: A Bio-Economic Model for the Viable Managementof the Coastal Fishery in French Guyana Author: Gourguet, Sophie, Doyen, Luc, Cisse, Abdoul, Blanchard, Fabian, Guyader, Olivier, Pereau, Jean Christophe The coastal fishery in French Guyana is a challenging case study for the implementation of the ecosystem based fishery management. Although the current situation of this small scale fishery could be considered as satisfactory, the viability of the fishery can be questioned. Indeed according to demographic scenarios, the growth of the population will generate an increase of local food demand and therefore growing fishing pressures. Moreover, there is no direct regulation for limiting the fishing catches. Models and quantitative methods to tackle this sustainability issue are still lacking for such mall-scale fisheries mainly because of the various complexities underlying the systems including the heterogeneity of the production factors, the weak selectivity of fleets and high fish biodiversity levels. In the present paper, we both use numerical simulations and a viability perspective to deal with such a problem. We first build a multi-species multi-fleets dynamic model relying on thirteen exploited species and four types of fleets. It accounts for potential trophic interactions, fishing effort and the corresponding costs and revenues. The model was fit on data collected since 2006 by Ifremer: daily production and efforts data, as well as economic data from a survey on the production costs and selling prices in 2009.The co-viability of the system under different scenarios of fishing efforts is studied through ecological and economic performances. The biological viability constraints focus on biodiversity index as species richness or trophic index while economic viability constraints intend to guarantee profitability to all the fleets. Close

• 8. [Article] Globalization and the Sustainability of Human Health: An ecological perspective

  The last half-century has seen momentous and accelerating changes in humankind's economic activities, political relations, and social and demographic profile. A prominent feature of this change is the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Globalization and the Sustainability of Human Health: An ecological perspective Author: Costanza, Robert, McMichael, A. J., Bolin, Bert, Daily, Gretchen C., Folke, Carl, Lindahl-Kiessling, Kerstin, Lindgren, Elisabet, Niklasson, Bo Year: 1999 The last half-century has seen momentous and accelerating changes in humankind's economic activities, political relations, and social and demographic profile. A prominent feature of this change is the increasing scale of human impact on Earth's natural biophysical systems: the climate system, stratospheric ozone, biodiversity, terrestrial and marine food-producing ecosystems, and the great cycles of water, nitrogen, and sulfur (Meyer 1996, Vitousek et al. 1997). These systems sustain the conditions on which life depends, and their weakening may therefore have profound long-term implications for human population health (McMichael 1993, Last 1997). Title: Globalization and the Sustainability of Human Health: An ecological perspective Author: Costanza, Robert, McMichael, A. J., Bolin, Bert, Daily, Gretchen C., Folke, Carl, Lindahl-Kiessling, Kerstin, Lindgren, Elisabet, Niklasson, Bo Year: 1999 The last half-century has seen momentous and accelerating changes in humankind's economic activities, political relations, and social and demographic profile. A prominent feature of this change is the increasing scale of human impact on Earth's natural biophysical systems: the climate system, stratospheric ozone, biodiversity, terrestrial and marine food-producing ecosystems, and the great cycles of water, nitrogen, and sulfur (Meyer 1996, Vitousek et al. 1997). These systems sustain the conditions on which life depends, and their weakening may therefore have profound long-term implications for human population health (McMichael 1993, Last 1997). Close

• 9. [Article] Linking Ecology and Economics for Ecosystem Management

  This article outlines an approach, based on ecosystem services, for assessing the trade-offs inherent in managing humans embedded in ecological systems. Evaluating these trade-offs requires an understanding ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Linking Ecology and Economics for Ecosystem Management Author: Farber, Stephen, Costanza, Robert, Childers, Daniel L., Erickson, Jon, Gross, Katherine, Grove, Morgan, Hopkinson, Charles S., Kahn, James, Pincetl, Stephanie, Troy, Austin, Warren, Paige, Wilson, Matthew Year: 2006 This article outlines an approach, based on ecosystem services, for assessing the trade-offs inherent in managing humans embedded in ecological systems. Evaluating these trade-offs requires an understanding of the biophysical magnitudes of the changes in ecosystem services that result from human actions, and of the impact of these changes on human welfare.We summarize the state of the art of ecosystem services?based management and the information needs for applying it. Three case studies of Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites?coastal, urban, and agricultural? illustrate the usefulness, information needs, quantification possibilities, and methods for this approach. One example of the application of this approach, with rigorously established service changes and valuations taken from the literature, is used to illustrate the potential for full economic valuation of several agricultural landscape management options, including managing for water quality, biodiversity, and crop productivity. Title: Linking Ecology and Economics for Ecosystem Management Author: Farber, Stephen, Costanza, Robert, Childers, Daniel L., Erickson, Jon, Gross, Katherine, Grove, Morgan, Hopkinson, Charles S., Kahn, James, Pincetl, Stephanie, Troy, Austin, Warren, Paige, Wilson, Matthew Year: 2006 This article outlines an approach, based on ecosystem services, for assessing the trade-offs inherent in managing humans embedded in ecological systems. Evaluating these trade-offs requires an understanding of the biophysical magnitudes of the changes in ecosystem services that result from human actions, and of the impact of these changes on human welfare.We summarize the state of the art of ecosystem services?based management and the information needs for applying it. Three case studies of Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites?coastal, urban, and agricultural? illustrate the usefulness, information needs, quantification possibilities, and methods for this approach. One example of the application of this approach, with rigorously established service changes and valuations taken from the literature, is used to illustrate the potential for full economic valuation of several agricultural landscape management options, including managing for water quality, biodiversity, and crop productivity. Close

• 10. [Article] Economics of REDD+ and Community Forestry

  Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a payment for ecosystem services (PES) system created under the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) that tries to reduce ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Economics of REDD+ and Community Forestry Author: Bluffstone, Randall Year: 2013 Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a payment for ecosystem services (PES) system created under the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) that tries to reduce deforestation and degradation in countries not subject to requirements under the convention (non-Annex 1 countries) and, therefore, release less and sequester more carbon. Other cobenefits have been added, such as biodiversity protection, poverty reduction and afforestation, which make up the '+' in REDD+. The '+', therefore, attempts to address potentially negative, unintended effects on non-carbon ecosystem services and take account of effects on those who currently have claims to forests. Many of the forest areas where the '+' is most important are community managed. Community forestry is therefore at the heart of REDD+. Title: Economics of REDD+ and Community Forestry Author: Bluffstone, Randall Year: 2013 Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a payment for ecosystem services (PES) system created under the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) that tries to reduce deforestation and degradation in countries not subject to requirements under the convention (non-Annex 1 countries) and, therefore, release less and sequester more carbon. Other cobenefits have been added, such as biodiversity protection, poverty reduction and afforestation, which make up the '+' in REDD+. The '+', therefore, attempts to address potentially negative, unintended effects on non-carbon ecosystem services and take account of effects on those who currently have claims to forests. Many of the forest areas where the '+' is most important are community managed. Community forestry is therefore at the heart of REDD+. Close