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• 31. [Article] A community-based approach for evaluating tradeoffs across marine ecosystem services in Oregon

  As competing uses of our coastlines increase, natural resource agencies are employing marine spatial planning (MSP) to designate areas for different uses or activities in order to reduce conflicts while ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A community-based approach for evaluating tradeoffs across marine ecosystem services in Oregon Author: Freeman, Peter M. As competing uses of our coastlines increase, natural resource agencies are employing marine spatial planning (MSP) to designate areas for different uses or activities in order to reduce conflicts while achieving ecological, economic and social objectives. A central challenge of implementing MSP is development of a rigorous approach for analyzing tradeoffs across the provision of ecosystem services (i.e., the benefits humans receive from nature). This study develops an operational approach to this problem that is founded on community-based methods, ecological production theory, and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). The approach merges ecological models with surveys to identify marine ecosystem services for use in tradeoff analysis. The approach allows for a single set of marine ecosystem services to at once be valued by local stakeholders and measured by biologists, thus connecting social and biological monitoring efforts. To develop the approach in a real-world context, I examined ecosystem services associated with nearshore marine ecosystems in Oregon, where marine reserves are being introduced for biodiversity conservation. I worked with stakeholder focus groups in three Oregon communities to identify 24 marine ecosystem services. I then linked the ecosystem services with ecological indicators, which I then consolidated to derive 11 items for use in a survey-based tradeoff analysis exercise. I administered the survey to a nonrandom sample of stakeholders in Oregon (n=31), from which their relative preferences and preference weights for ecosystem services were derived. The weights and preference measures may then be used in MSP decision-making. Furthermore, I grouped the stakeholder survey data in three ways: by location of residence (coastal vs. non-coastal), by eight categories of affiliation (e.g., business owners, conservationists, commercial and recreational fishers, etc.), and by resource use patterns. I then analyzed the various groupings of stakeholders for within- and between-group homogeneity of preferences. Results of the analyses showed that there are statistically significant variations in preferences within and between most groupings. Capturing the variations in stakeholder preferences is important when developing policies that affect different stakeholder groups. Thus, when implementing the survey instrument, I suggest random sampling of stakeholders stratified by location, affiliation, and resource use. This study provides one of the first examples of a systems-based approach to ecosystem service valuation operationalized to inform MSP, and novel features of the approach have a number of implications for advancing marine research and management. First, by using stakeholders to identify ecosystem services, the approach allows for a tailored implementation of ecosystem-based management at the community level. Second, by integrating ecological and economic information on the provision and value of ecosystem services, the approach provides relevant data for MSP decision-making during the siting, evaluation, and monitoring stages. And third, by applying both stated-preference and MCDA methods, the approach may capture the array of values represented by diverse stakeholder groups. Title: A community-based approach for evaluating tradeoffs across marine ecosystem services in Oregon Author: Freeman, Peter M. As competing uses of our coastlines increase, natural resource agencies are employing marine spatial planning (MSP) to designate areas for different uses or activities in order to reduce conflicts while achieving ecological, economic and social objectives. A central challenge of implementing MSP is development of a rigorous approach for analyzing tradeoffs across the provision of ecosystem services (i.e., the benefits humans receive from nature). This study develops an operational approach to this problem that is founded on community-based methods, ecological production theory, and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). The approach merges ecological models with surveys to identify marine ecosystem services for use in tradeoff analysis. The approach allows for a single set of marine ecosystem services to at once be valued by local stakeholders and measured by biologists, thus connecting social and biological monitoring efforts. To develop the approach in a real-world context, I examined ecosystem services associated with nearshore marine ecosystems in Oregon, where marine reserves are being introduced for biodiversity conservation. I worked with stakeholder focus groups in three Oregon communities to identify 24 marine ecosystem services. I then linked the ecosystem services with ecological indicators, which I then consolidated to derive 11 items for use in a survey-based tradeoff analysis exercise. I administered the survey to a nonrandom sample of stakeholders in Oregon (n=31), from which their relative preferences and preference weights for ecosystem services were derived. The weights and preference measures may then be used in MSP decision-making. Furthermore, I grouped the stakeholder survey data in three ways: by location of residence (coastal vs. non-coastal), by eight categories of affiliation (e.g., business owners, conservationists, commercial and recreational fishers, etc.), and by resource use patterns. I then analyzed the various groupings of stakeholders for within- and between-group homogeneity of preferences. Results of the analyses showed that there are statistically significant variations in preferences within and between most groupings. Capturing the variations in stakeholder preferences is important when developing policies that affect different stakeholder groups. Thus, when implementing the survey instrument, I suggest random sampling of stakeholders stratified by location, affiliation, and resource use. This study provides one of the first examples of a systems-based approach to ecosystem service valuation operationalized to inform MSP, and novel features of the approach have a number of implications for advancing marine research and management. First, by using stakeholders to identify ecosystem services, the approach allows for a tailored implementation of ecosystem-based management at the community level. Second, by integrating ecological and economic information on the provision and value of ecosystem services, the approach provides relevant data for MSP decision-making during the siting, evaluation, and monitoring stages. And third, by applying both stated-preference and MCDA methods, the approach may capture the array of values represented by diverse stakeholder groups. Close

• 32. [Article] Investing upstream : a social-ecological systems perspective on water utility investments in ecosystem services

  The concept of ecosystem services broadens perspectives on nature to include not only intrinsic value but also the utilitarian value it provides to society. Viewing nature through this lens informs our ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Investing upstream : a social-ecological systems perspective on water utility investments in ecosystem services Author: Bennett, Drew E. The concept of ecosystem services broadens perspectives on nature to include not only intrinsic value but also the utilitarian value it provides to society. Viewing nature through this lens informs our understanding of how particular ecological processes benefit different actors. In this research, I examine how water utilities in the United States are beginning to recognize the economic value of functioning ecosystems that were previously ignored or taken for granted. In an effort to protect or restore valuable ecosystem services, many utilities are now developing payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs to link water customers to conservation efforts upstream through direct financial investments. Despite the increasing number of water utility PES programs, there is a lack of information regarding how these programs work, the social and environmental conditions necessary for their emergence, and how they fit into the context of their larger social-ecological systems (SES). This research addresses this gap. To characterize the diversity of water utility PES programs, I developed a working typology highlighting similarities and differences among 37 identified programs covering source water protection, fire risk mitigation, point source pollution offsets, voluntary customer offsets, and hydropower mitigation. Results from my research also show that the concept of PES has largely been promoted as a market-like approach to conservation that emphasizes economic efficiency through reduced transaction costs, perfect information, and the minimization of the role of state actors. While this framing of PES is widely shared, I argue that it does not capture the diversity of social and environmental settings in which PES programs are embedded. Instead, I demonstrate that PES initiatives often emerge in response to a variety of institutional needs, poorly understood environmental drivers, and involve a diversity of public and private actors. As a result, I argue that PES is better viewed through a broader "collective action" lens and suggest that those developing PES initiatives should expand from a focus on the market logic of efficiency to approaches that promote social capital and the collaborative capacity of community groups in the implementation of PES programs. I also argue that a more integrative conceptualization of PES--through synthesis with the SES framework--is necessary to take into account the broader social and ecological landscapes in which PES initiatives are embedded. The SES framework can provide insight into the multitude of factors that influence PES and facilitate the integration of knowledge from diverse disciplinary perspectives by providing a common language and consistency in the variables considered in analyses. To this end, I present an initial effort in the development of a taxonomy of core variables relevant to analyzing and understanding PES. I feel this adapted SES framework will help scholars move beyond academic debates and towards a shared understanding of the potential and limitations of PES as a policy mechanism for addressing complex ecosystem service management problems in diverse SESs. Title: Investing upstream : a social-ecological systems perspective on water utility investments in ecosystem services Author: Bennett, Drew E. The concept of ecosystem services broadens perspectives on nature to include not only intrinsic value but also the utilitarian value it provides to society. Viewing nature through this lens informs our understanding of how particular ecological processes benefit different actors. In this research, I examine how water utilities in the United States are beginning to recognize the economic value of functioning ecosystems that were previously ignored or taken for granted. In an effort to protect or restore valuable ecosystem services, many utilities are now developing payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs to link water customers to conservation efforts upstream through direct financial investments. Despite the increasing number of water utility PES programs, there is a lack of information regarding how these programs work, the social and environmental conditions necessary for their emergence, and how they fit into the context of their larger social-ecological systems (SES). This research addresses this gap. To characterize the diversity of water utility PES programs, I developed a working typology highlighting similarities and differences among 37 identified programs covering source water protection, fire risk mitigation, point source pollution offsets, voluntary customer offsets, and hydropower mitigation. Results from my research also show that the concept of PES has largely been promoted as a market-like approach to conservation that emphasizes economic efficiency through reduced transaction costs, perfect information, and the minimization of the role of state actors. While this framing of PES is widely shared, I argue that it does not capture the diversity of social and environmental settings in which PES programs are embedded. Instead, I demonstrate that PES initiatives often emerge in response to a variety of institutional needs, poorly understood environmental drivers, and involve a diversity of public and private actors. As a result, I argue that PES is better viewed through a broader "collective action" lens and suggest that those developing PES initiatives should expand from a focus on the market logic of efficiency to approaches that promote social capital and the collaborative capacity of community groups in the implementation of PES programs. I also argue that a more integrative conceptualization of PES--through synthesis with the SES framework--is necessary to take into account the broader social and ecological landscapes in which PES initiatives are embedded. The SES framework can provide insight into the multitude of factors that influence PES and facilitate the integration of knowledge from diverse disciplinary perspectives by providing a common language and consistency in the variables considered in analyses. To this end, I present an initial effort in the development of a taxonomy of core variables relevant to analyzing and understanding PES. I feel this adapted SES framework will help scholars move beyond academic debates and towards a shared understanding of the potential and limitations of PES as a policy mechanism for addressing complex ecosystem service management problems in diverse SESs. Close

• 33. [Article] Eutrophication weakens stabilizing effects of diversity in natural grasslands

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Nature ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Eutrophication weakens stabilizing effects of diversity in natural grasslands Author: O'Halloran, Lydia R., Hautier, Yann, Borer, Elizabeth T., et al., Seabloom, Eric W. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Nature Publishing Group and can be found at: http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html. Title: Eutrophication weakens stabilizing effects of diversity in natural grasslands Author: O'Halloran, Lydia R., Hautier, Yann, Borer, Elizabeth T., et al., Seabloom, Eric W. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Nature Publishing Group and can be found at: http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html. Close

• 34. [Article] A choice experiment analysis of public preferences for conservation of biological diversity in the Oregon Coast Range

  Ecosystem management has become an increasingly mainstream paradigm for natural resource management. Nowhere is this more evident than on the public and private forestland of the Pacific Northwest. While ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A choice experiment analysis of public preferences for conservation of biological diversity in the Oregon Coast Range Author: Garber-Yonts, Brian E. Ecosystem management has become an increasingly mainstream paradigm for natural resource management. Nowhere is this more evident than on the public and private forestland of the Pacific Northwest. While ecosystem management has become a widely accepted principle of resource management, substantial questions remain about its implementation. A case in point is the conservation of biological diversity: within both the scientific literature and the policy debate, it is unclear what are the best methods for its conservation. In addition, the public goods nature of biological diversity limits the ability of managers and policy makers to use economic information to prioritize biodiversity policy goals in making resource management decisions. This study uses a choice experiment (CE) framework to produce utility theoretic estimates of the welfare effects of changes in the level of biodiversity protection under different conservation programs. The sample frame for the study spans Oregon households, with three regional strata (Eastern, Willamette Valley, and Coastal), allowing measurement of regional preference heterogeneity. We present biodiversity policy as an amalgam of four different conservation programs: aquatic habitat conservation, forest rotation management, endangered species protection, and large-scale conservation reserves. The study results indicate substantial support for conservation programs. While WTP is positive for initial increases above baseline levels of protection, results indicate that WTP for large increases fall to zero or become negative, requiring monetary compensation for further increases, substantial increases over the current baseline would generate increased consumer surplus, though overall location of land resources to biodiversity is perceived on average as a welfare loss. The survey instrument included a dichotomous choice contingent valuation WTP elicitation for the purpose of methodological comparison to the CE approach. Results tentatively support the conclusion that the CE approach produces more conservative (lower) estimates of consumer surplus. The study also indicated a strong bias toward the management status quo, though the basis for this preference, and its importance in the context of policy analysis, remains an important subject for further research. Title: A choice experiment analysis of public preferences for conservation of biological diversity in the Oregon Coast Range Author: Garber-Yonts, Brian E. Ecosystem management has become an increasingly mainstream paradigm for natural resource management. Nowhere is this more evident than on the public and private forestland of the Pacific Northwest. While ecosystem management has become a widely accepted principle of resource management, substantial questions remain about its implementation. A case in point is the conservation of biological diversity: within both the scientific literature and the policy debate, it is unclear what are the best methods for its conservation. In addition, the public goods nature of biological diversity limits the ability of managers and policy makers to use economic information to prioritize biodiversity policy goals in making resource management decisions. This study uses a choice experiment (CE) framework to produce utility theoretic estimates of the welfare effects of changes in the level of biodiversity protection under different conservation programs. The sample frame for the study spans Oregon households, with three regional strata (Eastern, Willamette Valley, and Coastal), allowing measurement of regional preference heterogeneity. We present biodiversity policy as an amalgam of four different conservation programs: aquatic habitat conservation, forest rotation management, endangered species protection, and large-scale conservation reserves. The study results indicate substantial support for conservation programs. While WTP is positive for initial increases above baseline levels of protection, results indicate that WTP for large increases fall to zero or become negative, requiring monetary compensation for further increases, substantial increases over the current baseline would generate increased consumer surplus, though overall location of land resources to biodiversity is perceived on average as a welfare loss. The survey instrument included a dichotomous choice contingent valuation WTP elicitation for the purpose of methodological comparison to the CE approach. Results tentatively support the conclusion that the CE approach produces more conservative (lower) estimates of consumer surplus. The study also indicated a strong bias toward the management status quo, though the basis for this preference, and its importance in the context of policy analysis, remains an important subject for further research. Close

• 35. [Article] Ecosystem services markets for family foresters

  This is a report produced as part of a class led by John Bliss, Sally Duncan and James Johnston under a grant from the American Forest Foundation.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Ecosystem services markets for family foresters Author: Butler, Greg, MacFarland, Kate, Comfort, Emily, Salas, Javier, Cummings, Ed, Institute for Natural Resources, Pfeiffer, Vera, Harrison, Jane, Eliis, Tana, Smedstad, Jill, Overdevest, Justin This is a report produced as part of a class led by John Bliss, Sally Duncan and James Johnston under a grant from the American Forest Foundation. Title: Ecosystem services markets for family foresters Author: Butler, Greg, MacFarland, Kate, Comfort, Emily, Salas, Javier, Cummings, Ed, Institute for Natural Resources, Pfeiffer, Vera, Harrison, Jane, Eliis, Tana, Smedstad, Jill, Overdevest, Justin This is a report produced as part of a class led by John Bliss, Sally Duncan and James Johnston under a grant from the American Forest Foundation. Close

• 36. [Article] Multi-scale Drivers of Spatial Variation in Old-Growth Forest Carbon Density Disentangled with Lidar and an Individual-Based Landscape Model

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/10021. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Multi-scale Drivers of Spatial Variation in Old-Growth Forest Carbon Density Disentangled with Lidar and an Individual-Based Landscape Model Author: Pabst, Robert J., Olsen, Keith, Spies, Thomas A., Seidl, Rupert, Steel, E. Ashley, Rammer, Werner This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/10021. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. Title: Multi-scale Drivers of Spatial Variation in Old-Growth Forest Carbon Density Disentangled with Lidar and an Individual-Based Landscape Model Author: Pabst, Robert J., Olsen, Keith, Spies, Thomas A., Seidl, Rupert, Steel, E. Ashley, Rammer, Werner This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/10021. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. Close

• 37. [Article] Hydrology shapes taxonomic and functional structure of desert stream invertebrate communities

  This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The article is copyrighted by The Society for Freshwater Science and published by The University of Chicago Press. It can ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Hydrology shapes taxonomic and functional structure of desert stream invertebrate communities Author: Lytle, David A., Olden, Julian D., Jaeger, Kristin L., Bogan, Michael T., Schriever, Tiffany A., Cañedo-Argüelles, Miguel, Boersma, Kate S. This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The article is copyrighted by The Society for Freshwater Science and published by The University of Chicago Press. It can be found at: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/journals/journal/fws.html Title: Hydrology shapes taxonomic and functional structure of desert stream invertebrate communities Author: Lytle, David A., Olden, Julian D., Jaeger, Kristin L., Bogan, Michael T., Schriever, Tiffany A., Cañedo-Argüelles, Miguel, Boersma, Kate S. This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The article is copyrighted by The Society for Freshwater Science and published by The University of Chicago Press. It can be found at: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/journals/journal/fws.html Close

• 38. [Article] Comparative Composition, Diversity and Trophic Ecology of Sediment Macrofauna at Vents, Seeps and Organic Falls

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Public Library of Science and can be found at: http://www.plosone.org/home.action.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Comparative Composition, Diversity and Trophic Ecology of Sediment Macrofauna at Vents, Seeps and Organic Falls Author: Smith, Craig R., Thurber, Andrew R., Levin, Lisa A., Bernardino, Angelo F. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Public Library of Science and can be found at: http://www.plosone.org/home.action. Title: Comparative Composition, Diversity and Trophic Ecology of Sediment Macrofauna at Vents, Seeps and Organic Falls Author: Smith, Craig R., Thurber, Andrew R., Levin, Lisa A., Bernardino, Angelo F. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Public Library of Science and can be found at: http://www.plosone.org/home.action. Close

• 39. [Article] Hydroclimatic and hydrochemical controls on Plecoptera diversity and distribution in northern freshwater ecosystems

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Hydroclimatic and hydrochemical controls on Plecoptera diversity and distribution in northern freshwater ecosystems Author: Soulsby, Chris, Laudon, Hjalmar, Cunjak, Richard, Carey, Sean K., Shanley, Jamie, Buttle, Jim, Seibert, Jan, Kruitbos, Laura M., McGuire, Kevin, McDonnell, Jeffrey J., Tetzlaff, Doerthe To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://www.springer.com/?SGWID=0-102-0-0-0. Title: Hydroclimatic and hydrochemical controls on Plecoptera diversity and distribution in northern freshwater ecosystems Author: Soulsby, Chris, Laudon, Hjalmar, Cunjak, Richard, Carey, Sean K., Shanley, Jamie, Buttle, Jim, Seibert, Jan, Kruitbos, Laura M., McGuire, Kevin, McDonnell, Jeffrey J., Tetzlaff, Doerthe To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://www.springer.com/?SGWID=0-102-0-0-0. Close

• 40. [Article] Obligations to Protect Marine Ecosystems Under International Conventions and other Legal Instruments

  Research Paper

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Obligations to Protect Marine Ecosystems Under International Conventions and other Legal Instruments Author: Aqorau, Transform Research Paper Title: Obligations to Protect Marine Ecosystems Under International Conventions and other Legal Instruments Author: Aqorau, Transform Research Paper Close