Ecosystem Services and Policy: A Review of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem Services and an Efficiency-Based Framework for Implementing the Ecosystem Approach

Abstract

The Ecosystem Approach (EA) to environmental management aims to enhance human well-being within a linked social and ecological system, through protecting the delivery of benefits and services to society from ecosystems in the face of external pressures such as climate change. However, our lack of understanding of the linkages between the human and natural components of ecosystems inhibits the implementation of the EA for policy decision-making. Coastal wetland systems provide many benefits and ecosystem services to humans, including nutrient recycling, climate and water quality regulation, timber, fuel and fibre, but they are under considerable threat from population pressure and climate change. In this chapter, we review the ecosystem services provided by coastal wetlands, and the threats to these services. We then present a new integrative conceptual framework to underpin the EA. The framework is divided into three sub-systems: one relating to ecosystem functions, one to ecosystem services, and one to social development and well-being. The pathways linking these sub-systems represent transfers of state, for example, ecosystem functions being transferred into ecosystem services, or ecosystem services being transferred into benefits. The focus of our approach is on enhancing the magnitude and efficiency of these transfers, by introducing or making use of any existing catalysts and overcoming any constraints in the system. The framework represents a dynamic system for implementing the EA in which interventions can be planned and managed in an adaptive way.

A bioturbation classification of European marine infaunal invertebrates

“…; White et al. ; Widdicombe and Somerfield ). Infaunal invertebrates exhibit significant influence over benthic sedimentary geochemical environments in soft sediments through bioturbation, that is, the mixing of sediment and particulate materials carried out during foraging, feeding and burrow maintenance activities, and the enhancement of pore water and solute advection during burrow ventilation (Richter ; Rhoads ; Volkenborn et al.…”

“…Marine soft-sediment habitats represent some of the most functionally important ecosystems on Earth, being charac-terized by a high biomass and diversity of invertebrate organisms that are fundamental to the mediation of a wealth of goods and services (Lotze et al 2006;White et al 2010;Widdicombe and Somerfield 2012). Infaunal inverte-brates exhibit significant influence over benthic sedimentary geochemical environments in soft sediments through bioturbation, that is, the mixing of sediment and particulate materials carried out during foraging, feeding and burrow maintenance activities, and the enhancement of pore water and solute advection during burrow ventilation (Richter 1936;Rhoads 1974;Volkenborn et al 2010).…”

Integrating Human and Ecosystem Health Through Ecosystem Services Frameworks

“…For example, Scoones ( 1998 ) illustrates how improvement of well-being is determined by livelihood strategies, which are affected by various factors including context, resources and institutional processes. Additionally, White et al ( 2010 ) and Bastian et al ( 2013 ), although both representing ES as a determinant of human health, also include the role of social factors in ES delivery, including legislation, incentives, technological development, governance and equity (White et al 2010 ) and the role of stakeholders and valuation (Bastian et al 2013 ). Reis et al ( 2013 ) explicitly refer to ‘determinants of health’ in their framework, drawing upon the ‘social determinants of health’ (SDH) model (Dahlgren and Whitehead 1991 ), a model that has underpinned global, national and local strategies on public health and health inequalities (WHO 2008 ).…”

“…Human drivers are often represented as having negative impacts on ecosystems (e.g. Rapport et al 1998a , b ; de Groot et al 2010b ; White et al 2010 ) or a negative impact is implied, such as ‘pressures’ (e.g. Haines-Young and Potschin 2010 ).…”

Peer Review #1 of "Holistic Environmental Approaches and Aichi Biodiversity Targets: accomplishments and perspectives for marine ecosystems (v0.1)"

“…This increase after 2012 appears to be largely driven by a rise in the number of ecosystem-based management and marine spatial planning studies, which is likely a reflection of the time required for Aichi-related frameworks to be implemented in research supporting the management of socio-ecological systems (e.g. White et al, 2010).…”