Social preferences regarding the delivery of ecosystem services in a semiarid Mediterranean region

The valuation of ecosystem services has primarily been conducted within the context of the economic value of these services to society. Ecosystem services research has since advanced to identify conflicts of interest between different sectors of society while prioritizing conservation actions. This approach can be important in semiarid ecosystems, where biodiversity conservation can be hindered by a lack of community awareness. In the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula, conservation is perceived by society as a barrier to the economic development provided by agricultural or tourism activities. We use the contingent valuation method to identify community perception and economic values of different ecosystem services provided by semiarid ecosystems in the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. This method identifies the perceptions of individuals benefiting from ecosystem services and examines their willingness to pay for the maintaining of these ecosystem services. Results showed that most respondents recognized the importance of services to human well-being and were willing to conserve these services. Preferences for maintaining water and air quality showed that respondents understood the relationship between the conservation of ecosystem services and local well-being. However, responses varied greatly across categories of beneficiaries; this finding highlights a potential conflict of interest that should be considered in any decision-making processes.     

Conservation And Conflicts In The Sundarban Biosphere Reserve,India

The Sundarban Biosphere Reserve in West Bengal, India, is part of the largest mangrove forest ecosystem in the world. The reserve is a world heritage site and the last refuge for the endangered Bengal tiger at a crucial time when global climate change threatens their existence. The mangrove ecosystem and wildlife conservation have become the priority for the state government of West Bengal. However, in becoming so, the state government imposes restrictions on catching fish in the core and buffer areas of the biosphere reserve, which intensify fishermen's everyday resource‐access struggles in the mangrove forest. This paper examines the conflict between local fishermen and conservation needs, broadening the understanding of human‐environment relationships in the Sundarbans region of India.     

Uncovering the spatio-temporal dynamics of land cover change and fragmentation of mangroves in the Ca Mau peninsula,Vietnam using multi-temporal SPOT satellite imagery (2004–2013)

Mangrove forests provide vital ecosystem services for millions of people living in coastal communities. The expansion of aquaculture production and urbanization have been identified as major causes of mangrove clearance in South-East Asia. The Ca Mau peninsula in Vietnam is leading the country in shrimp aquaculture and at the same time, the region is home to the largest remaining mangrove forests. This study aims to assess the spatial and temporal mangrove forest dynamics in Ngoc Hien district in Ca Mau. Land cover change and fragmentation are quantified using remote sensing imagery consisting of a series of SPOT5 scenes from 2004, 2009 and 2013. The results indicate a high turnover of land cover change, with close to half of the mangrove forests being affected by land cover changes between 2004 and 2014. Net changes in mangrove forest are found to average −0.34% annually, characterized by deforestation between 2004 and 2009 and afforestation of between 2009 and 2013. Fragmentation remains a plausible threat; approximately 35.4% of the mangrove forests in Ngoc Hien are part of interior ‘core’ forests. Forest zones with different regulation regimes play a significant role in shaping the geographic distribution of mangrove forest changes. The insights into recent mangrove forest dynamics facilitate the informed discussion on improving future protection of the mangrove forests abiding anthropogenic pressures.     

生态城市建设背景下湛江红树林的保护与利用

以中国最大的红树林生长基地———湛江市为例,经过实地调研和多方论证,分析了当前湛江红树林的生存现状和存在的问题。究其原因在于:对红树林在区域生态安全格局中的战略意义认识不足、当地社会经济发展带来的巨大冲击,以及红树林资源开发的滞后等。针对这些问题,首先从海陆一体化、海岸带等方面,明确了红树林湿地在维护区域生态安全格局中的战略地位。在此基础上,厘清了红树林湿地在湛江生态城市建设中的意义和作用,提出了今后湛江红树林湿地的总体建设方向:(1)以红树林湿地为核心,重构湛江市的区域生态安全格局;(2)加强湛江市红树林生态系统的重构;(3)开展沿海红树林的生态恢复;(4)推进生态旅游产业的开发。     

深圳红树林湿地的现状及生态旅游开发对策

红树林是生长在热带和亚热带沿海潮间带的木本植物群落,有其独特的生态系统。它具有极其重要的生态、社会和经济效益,同时也是一种新兴的生态旅游资源。介绍了深圳红树林湿地的现状、面临的主要威胁,并结合实际情况对开发红树林生态旅游提出了建议。     

An Ecosystem Services Approach to Sustainable Livelihoods in the Homegardens of Kandy,Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT

The Kandyan homegardens, or forest gardens, of central Sri Lanka are diverse, smallholder agroforestry ecosystems that for 2000 years have reflected evolving environmental, economic, and social livelihood needs. An ecosystem services approach interrogated homegarden changes over the last 10 years in 31 Kandyan households. Livelihood strategies favouring homegardens were found to have broader benefits across household, national, and global scales than those favouring commercial simplification or those abandoning cultivation for alternative incomes. Livelihood benefits beyond income included resilience to economic and environmental shocks; food security; and higher stocks of biological and agricultural diversity. This revealed overlooked socio-ecological feedbacks between drivers that frustrated interventions to sustain homegarden livelihoods, including increased wild animal incursions thwarting household climate adaptation and disaster recovery; global organic and fair trade incentives reducing food security and livelihood resilience; and national seed and animal regulations counteracting homegarden sustainability programs. Despite these pressures, households maintained homegarden systems for their cultural, aesthetic and eating preferences. An ecosystem services approach can complement sustainable livelihood approaches by identifying overlooked environmental and cultural benefits; reveal livelihood feedbacks from drivers of ecosystem change; avoid unintended consequences from interventions; and capitalise on synergies between stakeholder priorities.     

Mangrove forest dynamics in Tanintharyi,Myanmar from 1989–2014, and the role of future economic and political developments

Mangrove forests in Southeast Asia provide many ecosystem services, though are experiencing extensive deforestation, especially in Myanmar. Recent political and economic reforms in Myanmar are projected to further increase development pressures on natural resources. Mangrove forests in the southern state of Tanintharyi have largely been spared clearance because of poor infrastructure and a volatile security situation, though this may change with plans for economic expansion. We quantified land cover dynamics and proximate drivers of mangrove deforestation in Tanintharyi between 1989 and 2014 using a remote sensing approach over five time intervals. Tanintharyi experienced low mangrove cover loss overall, as compared with other regions of Myanmar, with 3.2 per cent being deforested over 25 years. However, this statistic hides large site‐specific losses and gains, which varied significantly within the study area. Myeik district lost 210 km² of mangrove over 25 years, but also gained 132 km². Dawei and Kawthung had minimal net loss of mangroves because of extensive mangrove regeneration. This historical mangrove baseline is essential for supporting environmentally‐conscious development in Myanmar's southernmost state.     

Sustainability Through an Alternative Property‐Rights Regime for Bangladesh's Mangrove Forest

This study examines the challenges of achieving sustainable management of the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, in Bangladesh. The Sundarbans is currently managed by the Bangladesh Department of Forest, under a state property‐rights regime, while our study explores an alternative property‐rights regime. We employed a mixed‐method approach to examine the prospects of alternative management and livelihood strategies to achieve sustainability. Both focus groups and household surveying were used to assess the opportunities for, and barriers to, achieving sustainability. It was found that two conflicting groups—forest‐dependent communities and foresters—are responsible for policy failures due to the absence of power‐sharing arrangements, nor is it likely a common property‐rights regime will be enough to cap degradation and achieve sustainability, while supply‐and‐demand policy interventions may well could help achieve sustainable management of the Sundarbans.     

基于Google Earth Engine的1986—2018年广东红树林年际变化遥感分析

以广东沿海红树林为研究对象,结合谷歌地球引擎（GEE）云计算平台,以1986—2018年32期3 359景Landsat系列卫星遥感影像为数据源,采用随机森林（RF）方法提取1986—2018年广东省红树林面积,比较全省沿海城市红树林年际时空变化特征,并从景观斑块角度分析广东省红树林斑块演变特征。结果表明：1）1986—2018年红树林遥感分类总体精度均高于90%,广东省沿岸红树林面积总体呈先减少后增加的趋势,且其在2014年后变化幅度逐渐减小。2）从各沿海城市来看,红树林共分布在14个市内,其中湛江和阳江是红树林面积分布最大的2个城市;各市红树林面积变化可分为先减后增、波动增加和无明显变化3类。3）1986—2018年广东省红树林斑块数量总体呈减少趋势,但斑块平均面积（MPS）呈上升趋势,红树林破碎化程度减轻。获取年际红树林面积分布信息和空间结构变化趋势,可为红树林合理开发与保护提供数据和参考,服务于红树林生态恢复和精细化管理。     

三江源生态保护和建设一期工程生态成效评估

基于生态系统结构--服务动态过程趋势分析,针对生态保护与建设工程预期目标,构建了由生态系统结构,质量,服务及其变化因素构成的生态成效评估指标体系,研究发展野外观测,遥感监测和生态过程定量模拟一体化的监测评估技术体系,评估了三江源生态保护和建设一期工程的生态成效.结果表明:工程实施8年以来,三江源区宏观生态状况趋好但尚未达到1970s比较好的生态状况,草地持续退化趋势得到初步遏制但难以达到预期"草地植被盖度提高平均20%~40%"的目标,水体与湿地生态系统整体有所恢复,生态系统水源涵养和流域水供给能力提高,区域水源涵养量达到了增加13.20亿m³目标;重点工程区内生态恢复程度好于非工程区,除了气候影响以外,工程的实施对促进植被恢复具有明显而积极的作用;然而,草地退化局面没有获得根本性扭转,工程实施尚未遏制土壤水蚀增加趋势,一期工程局部性和初步性特点突显出三江源区生态保护任务的长期性和艰巨性.     

半城市化地区生态系统服务对土地利用/覆被变化的响应——以厦门市集美区为例

半城市化地区是在快速城市化进程中产生的一种过渡地域类型, 其土地利用特征表现为土地利用竞争和矛盾剧烈, 土地利用变化迅速的特征。土地利用/覆被的变化改变生态系统的结构与功能, 是对生态系统服务产生胁迫的主要驱动力之一。本文以厦门市集美半城市化地区为例, 分析半城市化地区生态系统服务对土地利用/覆被变化的响应, 基于对2007 年中国陆地生态系统服务价值当量修正的方法, 对半城市化地区生态系统服务价值(ESV)变化作出评估, 并通过土地系统和生态系统二者的耦合变化关系探讨生态系统服务对土地利用/覆被变化的响应过程。结果表明:①近20 年来, 集美半城市化地区生态系统服务价值总量随着土地利用强度增加呈现波动性变化, 总体上呈现负相关关系。②调节服务和文化服务是最主要的生态系统服务类型;土地利用强度与调节服务和支持服务呈现显著的负相关关系。③随着半城市化地区的快速城市化发展, 土地利用类型急剧转化, 城市建设用地大量增加, 预计集美半城市化地区未来ESV将继续降低, 可采取生态综合整治措施减缓ESV降低趋势。     

Partitioning Stakeholders for the Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services: Examples of a Mangrove System

Although the importance of ecosystem services provided by natural forests, especially mangroves, is well known, the destruction of these environments is still ubiquitous and therefore protection measures are urgently needed. The present study compares the current approach of economic valuation of ecosystem services to a proposed one, using a study case of a mangrove system as an example. We suggest that a cost-benefit analysis for economically valuing environmental services should be performed with three additional modifications consisting of (i) a categorization of local stakeholders as demanders of particular ecosystem services, (ii) acknowledgement of the government as one of these demander groups, and (iii) the inclusion of opportunity costs in the valuation. The application of this approach to the mangrove area in the east portion of Great Abaco Island, the Bahamas, reveals that not only the ecosystem services received differ between demander groups, but the monetary benefits and costs are also specific to each of these groups. We show that the economic valuation of the ecosystem should be differentiated for each category, instead of being calculated as a net ‘societal value’ as it is currently. Applying this categorization of demanders enables a better understanding of the cost and benefit structure of the protection of a natural area. The present paper aims to facilitate discussions regarding benefit and cost sharing related to the protection of natural areas.     

Cross-cultural perceptions of ecosystem services: A social inquiry on both sides of the Israeli–Jordanian border of the Southern Arava Valley Desert

This research explores local resident perspectives on ecosystem services (ES) in the hyper-arid Arava Valley/Wadi Araba, which spans across both Israel and Jordan. Identifying and characterizing ES, an increasingly popular precursor for crafting sustainable natural resource management and land use policy, is an inherently multi-disciplinary endeavor. Our goal is to apply social research tools, in particular in-depth interviews with local residents, to understand their perspectives concerning ES. Since the research is conducted on two sides of an international border, it also illuminates the potential role of culture, nationality and economics in formulating perceptions on ES in deserts.The results show that, although deserts are often considered to be lacking in ES, local residents feel that their environment is abundant in services, particularly cultural services. Furthermore, although they live in a nearly identical ecosystem, local residents from two sides of the border showed distinct differences, as well as some shared patterns, in how they use and value ES. The study highlights the importance of applying social methods for ES identification and characterization in tandem with other disciplinary approaches, in order to avoid common problems including disregard of the importance of social and cultural perspectives, leading to undervaluing of intangible cultural services.     

我国红树林湿地研究进展

红树林湿地是分布于亚热带、热带滨海地区的典型湿地，具有其它湿地类型所不具备的特殊的演化过程，形成独特的水文、土壤和植被特征。由于人类活动的影响，近年来，我国红树林湿地出现了面积锐减、生态系统结构简化、生物多样性降低、生态功能退化等严重问题，使红树林湿地的可持续利用面临严重挑战。从湿地生态、湿地功能及湿地开发利用、保护与管理等方面评述我国红树林湿地生态系统的研究现状，探讨我国红树林湿地未来研究的主要科学问题，进而明确红树林湿地可持续利用研究的方向和途径。     

Continuity and change: Spatiotemporal land use dynamics on Bellona Island, Solomon Islands

Traditional agricultural land use systems in the humid tropics of the Southwest Pacific are, as elsewhere, affected by globalization processes. This paper analyzes the directions of change in the land use system of Bellona, a small outer island in the Solomon Islands. We focus on the human–environmental interaction that shapes land use patterns and practices in the context of theoretical lines of thought concerning intensification of agricultural systems in the tropics. Aerial photography from 1966 and satellite imagery from 2006 in conjunction with studies from the 1960s and a contemporary household survey reveal only minor changes in the agricultural system. Land use and land cover dynamics are related to agricultural strategies, demographic factors, institutional actors as well as biophysical drivers or constraints. Local agricultural production still contributes significantly to local subsistence but imported food has also become a major food source. Hence, land use has become partially disconnected from the local population pressure and therefore remains relatively stable while the larger livelihood portfolio has undergone significant diversification. At present, the agricultural system is a supplement to a range of strategies supporting the increasing number of people on the island. This explains why land use patterns continue relatively unchanged while livelihood and food supply strategies have changed.     

我国湿地的主要生态问题及治理对策

在参阅相关文献和实地调查的基础上,分析了我国湿地面临的主要生态问题,将湿地生态系统结构与功能的退化划分为缺水萎缩、污染退化、泥沙淤积退化、疏干排水退化、生物资源过度利用与生物多样性受损、红树林破坏、生物入侵退化等7个类型。在此基础上,提出湿地生态保育与治理的若干对策。     

香港米埔自然保护区保护与管理经验及启示

随着深圳市城市发展步伐的不断加快,福田红树林自然保护区受到水体污染、人为干扰、病虫害及外来物种等各方面影响,导致其生态系统出现不同程度的退化。通过赴香港米埔自然保护区考察与学习,分析了香港米埔自然保护区精细化管理、生态系统日趋稳定及教育宣传等经验,提出了深圳福田乃至全国红树林自然保护区保护与管理对策和建议。     

红树林的生态学功能及其资源保护

本文综合国内外红树林生态系统结构和功能研究现状,重点阐述了红树林在不同生境状态下结构与功能方面的异同及其对不同管理水平的反应,及各种人类活动干扰对红树林生态系统的影响,并探讨了红树林在不同利用方式和干扰强度下的恢复机制.未来对红树林的研究应加强对地下生物学过程、碳动态、食物网与食物链、生物多样性的变化、微生物在生态系统生物地球化学循环中的作用,尤其是不同时空尺度上红树林的结构动态和功能过程等方面的了解,为红树林湿地的有效保护、成功恢复以及科学管理提供科学依据.     

关中平原典型村落农业转型对生态系统服务的影响研究

全球化和城市化驱动农产品市场需求的日益增长正在推动农村和农业的转变与重构,深刻影响着农村经济、社会和生态发展之间的关系。以关中平原典型村落—余家营和马家村为例,研究城市化影响下农业转型对农业生态系统服务产生了何种影响,对探索城乡互动机制、乡村特色农业发展以及生态景观建设等具有重要意义。通过问卷调查,半结构式访谈、野外填图等对余家营村和马家村的土地利用变化及农业生态系统服务进行测评,分析了关中平原农业转型变化及其对农业生态系统服务的影响与机制。结果表明：(1) “粮—粮”和“粮—果”转型使农业景观、种植结构、农户行为等都发生较大变化,在由传统粮食生产向水果、蔬菜、苗木花卉等现代型农业转变过程中,作物品种由低产量、低品质转为高产量、高品质,并更趋多样化;出现少许耕地转变为草地和林地的现象;农户积极性提高,科技水平有所提升。(2) “粮—粮”和“粮—果”转型的生态系统服务均以正服务为主,其中“粮—果”经济生产功能增长较大,增长了523.9%,但“粮—果”转型造成的负向生态系统服务也较高,因此在农业转型中生产经济价值增长越大对生态系统服务的负向影响就越大。（3） 农业转型主要受到城市化、国家政策的驱动,并通过影响农田的农业景观、农业结构、农户行为进而影响农业生态系统服务功能,反之,农业生态系统服务变化也会影响到国家政策以及农户行为。     

生态系统服务变化的驱动机制研究进展

近年来,全球及区域生态系统服务均呈现出快速变化趋势,分析研究生态系统服务变化的驱动机制有助于精准模拟未来生态系统服务情景,进而服务于生态系统管理决策的科学制定。虽然已有部分研究探讨了土地利用或气候变化对生态系统服务的影响,但生态系统服务变化的驱动机理与应对策略亟待全面揭示。为此,该文回顾总结了国内外关于生态系统服务变化驱动机制的研究成果,并分析归纳了生态系统服务变化的主要驱动因子与未来模拟技术,结果发现:(1)土地利用与气候变化是造成生态系统服务变化的主要因素,且相互作用共同驱动生态系统服务的变化;(2)生态系统服务变化的单影响因子识别取得较大进展,但多种影响因子的交互作用及其在生态服务变化中贡献亟需清晰分解;(3)基于遥感与气候模型的多情景模拟是预测未来生态系统服务变化的主要手段,但需要科学模拟多因素交互作用下的综合影响及其应对途径;(4)未来研究应加强人类活动对生态系统服务影响的分解与模拟,研发区域生态系统服务对重大生态工程的时空响应与探测技术,以科学指导区域生态保护建设与规划布局。