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Notes from the field: Lessons learned from using ecosystem service approaches to inform real-world decisions
Ruckelshaus, Mary McKenzie, Emily Tallis, Heather Guerry, Anne Daily, Gretchen Kareiva, Peter Polasky, Stephen Ricketts, Taylor Bhagabati, Nirmal Wood, Spencer A.
Ruckelshaus, Mary
McKenzie, Emily
Tallis, Heather
Guerry, Anne
Daily, Gretchen
Kareiva, Peter
Polasky, Stephen
Ricketts, Taylor
Bhagabati, Nirmal
Wood, Spencer A.
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© 2013 The Authors.
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
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10.1016/j.ecolecon.2013.07.009
Abstract
While there have been rapid advances in assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES), a critical remaining challenge is how to move from scientific knowledge to real-world decision making. We offer 6 lessons from our experiences applying new approaches and tools for quantifying BES in 20 pilot demonstrations: (1) Applying a BES approach is most effective in leading to policy change as part of an iterative science-policy process; (2) simple ecological production function models have been useful in a diverse set of decision contexts, across a broad range of biophysical, social, and governance systems. Key limitations of simple models arise at very small scales, and in predicting specific future BES values; (3) training local experts in the approaches and tools is important for building local capacity, ownership, trust, and long-term success; (4) decision makers and stakeholders prefer to use a variety of BES value metrics, not only monetary values; (5) an important science gap exists in linking changes in BES to changes in livelihoods, health, cultural values, and other metrics of human wellbeing; and (6) communicating uncertainty in useful and transparent ways remains challenging.
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2015-07-01
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Ruckelshaus M, McKenzie E, Tallis H, Guerry A, Daily G, Kareiva P, Polasky S, Ricketts T, Bhagabati N, Wood SA, Bernhardt J. Notes from the field: lessons learned from using ecosystem service approaches to inform real-world decisions. Ecological Economics. 2015 Jul 1;115:11-21.