The consequences of four land‐use scenarios for forest ecosystems and the services they provide

Thompson, Jonathan R.; Lambert, Kathleen F.; Foster, David R.; Broadbent, Eben N.; Blumstein, Meghan; Zambrano, Angélica M. Almeyda; Fan, Yuanchao

doi:10.1002/ecs2.1469

Cited by 53 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…, Thompson et al. ). However, awareness of the need to define desirable functions under multiple scenarios is very recent in BEF research: such an approach is more likely to generate results that are useful to stakeholders and policy makers (e.g., Byrnes et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of species identity and interactions for multifunctionality depends on how ecosystem functions are valued

Slade

Kirwan

Bell

et al. 2017

Ecology

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Studies investigating how biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning increasingly focus on multiple functions measured simultaneously (“multifunctionality”). However, few such studies assess the role of species interactions, particularly under alternative environmental scenarios, despite interactions being key to ecosystem functioning. Here we address five questions of central importance to ecosystem multifunctionality using a terrestrial animal system. (1) Does the contribution of individual species differ for different ecosystem functions? (2) Do inter‐species interactions affect the delivery of single functions and multiple functions? (3) Does the community composition that maximizes individual functions also maximize multifunctionality? (4) Is the functional role of individual species, and the effect of interspecific interactions, modified by changing environmental conditions? (5) How do these roles and interactions change under varying scenarios where ecosystem services are weighted to reflect different societal preferences? We manipulated species’ relative abundance in dung beetle communities and measured 16 functions contributing to dung decomposition, plant productivity, nutrient recycling, reduction of greenhouse gases, and microbial activity. Using the multivariate diversity–interactions framework, we assessed how changes in species identity, composition, and interspecific interactions affected these functions in combination with an environmental driver (increased precipitation). This allowed us to identify key species and interactions across multiple functions. We then developed a desirability function approach to examine how individual species and species mixtures contribute to a desired state of overall ecosystem functioning. Species contributed unequally to individual functions, and to multifunctionality, and individual functions were maximized by different community compositions. Moreover, the species and interactions important for maintaining overall multifunctionality depended on the weight given to individual functions. Optimal multifunctionality was context‐dependent, and sensitive to the valuation of services. This combination of methodological approaches allowed us to resolve the interactions and indirect effects among species that drive ecosystem functioning, revealing how multiple aspects of biodiversity can simultaneously drive ecosystem functioning. Our results highlight the importance of a multifunctionality perspective for a complete assessment of species’ functional contributions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of species identity and interactions for multifunctionality depends on how ecosystem functions are valued

Slade

Kirwan

Bell

et al. 2017

Ecology

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“…, Thompson et al. ), persistent synergies were found among indicators of surface‐ and ground‐water quality, soil retention, and climate regulation, highlighting opportunities to co‐manage and enhance these essential regulating services together in the future.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Thompson et al. ), and a smaller, yet growing, number of studies have simultaneously incorporated multiple drivers of change and their interactions (e.g., Byrd et al. , Fan et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, among prior scenario studies, integrating social, political, economic, and biophysical storylines from participatory processes with biophysical modeling has been rare for regional social-ecological systems, though it has been done for a number of global scenario exercises (e.g., IPCC 2000, MEA 2005b). In addition, most studies thus far have focused on single drivers of environmental change, mostly climate (Bellard et al 2012, Ntegeka et al 2014 or land-use (Metzger et al 2006, Gude et al 2007, Eigenbrod et al 2011, Goldstein et al 2012, Thompson et al 2016, and a smaller, yet growing, number of studies have simultaneously incorporated multiple drivers of change and their interactions (e.g., Byrd et al 2015. In particular, how social factors (e.g., nutrient and land management, economic markets, human population, and diet) drive changes in demand for ecosystem services and biophysical conditions has seldom been considered.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Scenarios reveal pathways to sustain future ecosystem services in an agricultural landscape

Qiu

Carpenter

Booth

et al. 2017

Ecological Applications

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Abstract. Sustaining food production, water quality, soil retention, flood, and climate regulation in agricultural landscapes is a pressing global challenge given accelerating environmental changes. Scenarios are stories about plausible futures, and scenarios can be integrated with biophysical simulation models to explore quantitatively how the future might unfold. However, few studies have incorporated a wide range of drivers (e.g., climate, land-use, management, population, human diet) in spatially explicit, process-based models to investigate spatial-temporal dynamics and relationships of a portfolio of ecosystem services. Here, we simulated nine ecosystem services (three provisioning and six regulating services) at 220 9 220 m from 2010 to 2070 under four contrasting scenarios in the 1,345-km 2 Yahara Watershed (Wisconsin, USA) using Agro-IBIS, a dynamic model of terrestrial ecosystem processes, biogeochemistry, water, and energy balance. We asked (1) How does ecosystem service supply vary among alternative future scenarios? (2) Where on the landscape is the provision of ecosystem services most susceptible to future social-ecological changes? (3) Among alternative future scenarios, are relationships (i.e., trade-offs, synergies) among food production, water, and biogeochemical services consistent over time? Our results showed that food production varied substantially with future land-use choices and management, and its trade-offs with water quality and soil retention persisted under most scenarios. However, pathways to mitigate or even reverse such trade-offs through technological advances and sustainable agricultural practices were apparent. Consistent relationships among regulating services were identified across scenarios (e.g., trade-offs of freshwater supply vs. flood and climate regulation, and synergies among water quality, soil retention, and climate regulation), suggesting opportunities and challenges to sustaining these services. In particular, proactive land-use changes and management may buffer water quality against undesirable future climate changes, but changing climate may overwhelm management efforts to sustain freshwater supply and flood regulation. Spatially, changes in ecosystem services were heterogeneous across the landscape, underscoring the power of local actions and fine-scale management. Our research highlights the value of embracing spatial and temporal perspectives in managing ecosystem services and their complex interactions, and provides a system-level understanding for achieving sustainability of the food-water-climate nexus in agricultural landscapes.

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“…Mine reclamation is often conducted at a small extent, which ranges from a few hectares to several square kilometers. By contrast, studies of ecosystem services evaluation usually operate at broad extents, ranging from ecosystems, to landscape, regional and global scales [24][25][26][27][28]. Establishment of an interface between different spatial scales, which will be used not only as the basic unit of the ecosystem services evaluation, but also as the unit of mine reclamation planning, is critical to integrate the concept of ecosystem services into mining site reclamation planning at the small extent.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mining Site Reclamation Planning Based on Land Suitability Analysis and Ecosystem Services Evaluation: A Case Study in Liaoning Province, China

et al. 2017

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Abstract:Restoration of the degraded ecosystem is a global priority for achieving sustainable development. Although increasing ecosystem service is an important goal of ecological restoration, it is rarely used to inform mine reclamation. This study proposed a reclamation strategy that incorporated land suitability analysis and ecosystem service evaluation for a mining site in Liaoning Province, China. We assessed the land suitability for three reclamation alternatives and identified suitable land uses for each location by comparing their suitability levels. For areas that were suitable for multiple land uses with the same suitability level, the future land uses cannot be identified by land suitability analysis alone, and we employed ecosystem services evaluation to determine the optimal reclamation strategy. The results showed that forest could be restored throughout the entire mining site, agricultural land were most suitable in the western and southern parts, and developed land were in northern parts that were closer to roads and city centers. Our study showed that a large mining site can be reclaimed to different land uses and provided a practical framework for integrating ecosystem services into mine reclamation.

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The consequences of four land‐use scenarios for forest ecosystems and the services they provide

Cited by 53 publications

References 39 publications

The importance of species identity and interactions for multifunctionality depends on how ecosystem functions are valued

The importance of species identity and interactions for multifunctionality depends on how ecosystem functions are valued

Scenarios reveal pathways to sustain future ecosystem services in an agricultural landscape

Mining Site Reclamation Planning Based on Land Suitability Analysis and Ecosystem Services Evaluation: A Case Study in Liaoning Province, China

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