Advancing Systematic Conservation Planning for Ecosystem Services

Jaramar Villarreal-Rosas; Laura J Sonter; Rebecca K Runting; Sofía López-Cubillos; Marie C Dade; Hugh P Possingham; Jonathan R Rhodes

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2020.08.016

Advancing Systematic Conservation Planning for Ecosystem Services

Trends Ecol Evol. 2020 Dec;35(12):1129-1139. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.08.016. Epub 2020 Sep 22.

Authors

Jaramar Villarreal-Rosas¹, Laura J Sonter², Rebecca K Runting³, Sofía López-Cubillos², Marie C Dade⁴, Hugh P Possingham⁵, Jonathan R Rhodes²

Affiliations

¹ School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia; Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
² School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia; Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia.
³ School of Geography, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
⁴ Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B9, Canada.
⁵ Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia; The Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1606, USA.

PMID: 32977982
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.08.016

Abstract

Conservation and sustainable management activities are critical for enhancing ecosystem services. Systematic conservation planning (SCP) is a spatial decision support process used to identify the most cost-effective places for intervention and is increasingly incorporating ecosystem services thinking. Yet, there is no clear guidance on how to incorporate ecosystem service components (i.e., supply, demand, and flow) for multiple beneficiaries into the decision problem underpinning SCP. As such, conservation plans may fall short of maximizing benefits for both people and nature. We propose a benefit-based approach to integrate ecosystem service components into SCP that uses the principles of decision theory. Our approach will improve the likelihood that ecosystem service benefits are enhanced in spatial planning applications.

Keywords: conservation decision-making; ecosystem service demand; ecosystem service flow; ecosystem service supply; human well-being; spatial prioritization.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Conservation of Natural Resources*
Ecosystem*
Humans