Applying the System of Environmental Economic Accounting-Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) framework at catchment scale to develop ecosystem extent and condition accounts

Farrell, Catherine; Coleman, Lisa; Kelly‐Quinn, Mary; Obst, Carl; Eigenraam, Mark; Norton, Daniel; O’Donoghue, Cathal; Kinsella, Stephen; Delargy, Orlaith

doi:10.3897/oneeco.6.e65582

Cited by 29 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The SEEA EA was adopted as a statistical standard in 2021 and comprises a geospatial approach, whereby existing data on ecosystem stocks and flows are collated to show changes over time (Obst 2015, Eigenraam and Obst 2018, UNSD 2021. Designed since inception to align with the System of National Accounts (SNA), the SEEA EA can be applied at national scale (Eigenraam and Obst 2018), but can equally be used at smaller spatial scales (Farrell et al 2021b). Developed in the EU context through the MAES, MAIA and INCA projects, the SEEA EA has been identified as a key tool to deliver on the EU Strategy for Biodiversity 2030, particularly in relation to monitoring outcomes of the EU nature restoration plan where legally binding targets will be set for each EU Member State, requiring a scientific basis to establish realisable restoration targets (Vysna 2021).…”

Section: Ecosystem Accounting To Support Restorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Supplementary datasets provided more detail on the extent of specific peatland types (Article 17 datasets and industrial peat extraction data). We used peat soil texture datasets, developed at national level, as an indicator of the former extent of peatland in each catchment (pre-2000) as demonstrated in Farrell et al (2021b).…”

Section: Building Seea Ea Accountsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In relation to the three-stage approach to develop condition accounts , UNSD 2021, as well as providing information in relation to supply of ecosystem services, such as carbon storage and sequestration and regulation of water flows (Farrell et al 2021b).…”

Section: Understanding Condition Accountsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Developing peatland ecosystem accounts to guide targets for restoration

Farrell¹,

Coleman²,

Norton³

et al. 2021

Self Cite

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The United Nations System of Environmental and Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) is a geospatial approach, whereby existing data on ecosystem stocks and flows are collated to show changes over time. The framework has been proposed as a means to track and monitor ecosystem restoration targets across the EU. Condition is a key consideration in the conservation assessment of habitats protected under the EU Habitats Directive and ecosystem condition accounts are also integral to the SEEA EA. While SEEA EA accounts have been developed at EU level for an array for ecosystem types, condition accounts remain the least developed. Collating available datasets under the SEEA EA framework, we developed extent and rudimentary condition accounts for peatland ecosystems at catchment scale in Ireland. Information relating to peatland ecosystem sub-types or habitat types was collated for peatland habitats listed under Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive, as well as degraded peatlands not included in EU nature conservation networks. While data relating to peatland condition were limited, understanding changes in ecosystem extent and incorporating knowledge of habitat types and degradation served as a proxy for ecosystem condition in the absence of more comprehensive data. This highlighted the importance of the ecosystem extent account, which underpins all other accounts in the SEEA EA framework. Reflecting findings at EU level, drainage, disturbance and land conversion were identified as the main pressures affecting peatland condition. We highlighted a number of options to gather data to build more robust, time-series extent and condition accounts for peatlands at varying accounting scales. Overall, despite the absence of comprehensive data, bringing information under the SEEA EA framework is considered a good starting point, with the integration of expert ecological opinion considered essential to ensure development of reliable accounts, particularly when working at ecosystem sub-type (habitat type) and catchment scale.

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Section: Ecosystem Accounting To Support Restorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Building Seea Ea Accountsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Developing peatland ecosystem accounts to guide targets for restoration

Farrell¹,

Coleman²,

Norton³

et al. 2021

Self Cite

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“…For example, the United Nations Statistical Commission adopted in March 2021 the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting framework. This framework was tested by Farrell et al (2021), who found it to be both feasible and effective for the management of water resources. It provides a clear path between ecosystem characteristics (ecosystem extent and conditions), monetary ecosystem assets, and human well-being.…”

Section: What Next?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging theory and practice in ecosystem services mapping: a systematic review

Bitoun¹,

Trégarot

Devillers³

2021

Environ Syst Decis

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The mapping and assessment of Ecosystem Services (ES) aims at better connecting environmental conservation, economic development, and human well-being. However, 60 years after the development of the ES concept, a persistent gap remains between the production of scientific knowledge on ES and its use in support of policy and management. Here, we report on a systematic review of the scientific literature that helps better understand key challenges and offers potential solutions to bridge this gap. The review considered four criteria: (1) how stakeholders participate to studies; (2) how usable ES maps are for decision-making; (3) what policy recommendations were made; and (4) what research recommendations were made. The analysis of 135 papers published between 2008 and 2020 revealed diverse technical and conceptual challenges that could prevent the effective use of ES concepts and methods outside the academic realm. The main challenges identified in the literature were the uncertainty levels of ES mapping outputs, issues of spatial scales, the understanding of ES interactions, and the need for temporal analysis. Many policies rely on mapped outcomes, creating a window of opportunity for the uptake of ES mapping into policy-making. However, it remains key to involve stakeholders early in the co-design of ES studies and to better understand their preferences and motivation to adopt ES mapping in their practices. The study shows that higher levels of learnability of ES mapping practices, further popularization to foster public awareness, and increased capacity building would facilitate the ES concept uptake into decision and policy-making.

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“…The leading international framework for developing environmental economic accounts is the System of Environmental Economic Accounting -Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) which has been adopted by the UN Statistical Commission and many countries (United Nations 2021). While ecosystem extent indicators have been widely studied, there has been limited testing of how effectively condition indicators in SEEA-EA (Farrell et al 2021), and biodiversity indicators more generally (Watermeyer et al 2021;Nicholson 2020), can inform management decisions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem services in connected catchment to coast ecosystems: monitoring to detect emerging trends

Brown

Ange

Connolly

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Environmental Economic Accounts track the supply and use of interconnected ecosystem services, to inform environmental decision makers about the past and current status of ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are underpinned by the extent and condition of ecosystems, both of which are tracked in accounts with indicators. Policy makers need to know if indicators lead or lag environmental change, so that indicators are interpreted appropriately. Here we test the United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting-Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) framework for ecological condition to ask whether interconnected indicators lead or lag long-term change in ecosystem condition. We chose a case-study with high variability, which likely confounds our ability to track long-term change- a catchment in Northern Australia with high year-to-year variation in river flow that leads to high natural variation in ecological condition. We first quantified covariation among ecological indicators for pasture biomass, vegetation greenness and barramundi catch per unit effort. Covariation in the indicators was driven by river flow, with higher values of all indicators occurring in years with greater river flow. Barramundi catch per unit effort was most sensitive to changes in river flow, followed by a vegetation greenness and pasture biomass. We then defined reference bounds for each indicator that accounted for natural variation in river flow. We predicted the emergence times for each indicator, the time taken for each indicator to emerge from the background of natural variation. Emergence times were >10 years in all cases. Detecting change was more difficult where there were gaps in data. Ecosystem accounts can be used to compare ecological condition against performance objectives, but should consider natural variation in the system. National accounts are often used by decision makers to directly inform near-term actions, because economic indicators respond rapidly to new policies and the prevailing economic conditions. We found that ecological condition indicators in highly variable ecosystems are lagging indicators of change, and as such should be used to assess historical performance, not as leading indicators of future change.

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Applying the System of Environmental Economic Accounting-Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) framework at catchment scale to develop ecosystem extent and condition accounts

Cited by 29 publications

References 33 publications

Developing peatland ecosystem accounts to guide targets for restoration

Developing peatland ecosystem accounts to guide targets for restoration

Bridging theory and practice in ecosystem services mapping: a systematic review

Ecosystem services in connected catchment to coast ecosystems: monitoring to detect emerging trends

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