286 publications from this institution
Tropical forest ecosystems are hotspots for biodiversity and represent one of the largest terrestrial carbon stocks, making their role in climate change mitigation (CCM) programmes increasingly important (e.g. REDD+). In Latin America these ecosystems suffer from high land use pressures that have resulted in a dramatic biodiversity loss. Little is known about how CCM options may impact on biodiversity and how this in turn may affect ecosystem carbon storage. Within this context, the FP7 ROBIN (Role Of Biodiversity In climate change mitigatioN) project developed a framework for multi-scale integrated analysis of the impacts that land use change may have on the ecological and social-economic processes of these ecosystems. The framework represents a continuous feedback loop in which changes in CCM options modify land use, that results in biodiversity change, affecting ecosystem functions, leading to changes in ecosystem services that affect human outcomes and societal behaviour, and which then affect the main drivers and pressures on biodiversity and ecosystems, and so on. We have constructed an indicator framework that allows to quantify, link and assess these interactions at three spatial scales: regional (Central and South America), national (Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana and Mexico) and sub-national (study sites representing multifunctional landscapes). Indicators are selected through a demand-driven approach, by directing modelling and assessment efforts towards end-user relevant issues using stakeholder participatory processes. Indicator values are grounded on field data, statistics and model outputs. The framework provides a basis for understanding potential tipping points and unexpected consequences that may arise from the implementation of climate change mitigation policies, or management options (e.g. reducing deforestation and burning, or expansion of areas of biofuel crops in illegal areas). An illustrative example, showing how the framework helps to identify the appropriate indicators to synthesise the impacts of afforestation (one of the CCM options) across the ecological and socio-ecological processes and regions is presented
Keywords CEMENT AND CONCRETE ASSOCIATION, C & CA TESTS, SCALE, MODELS, DOMES, SHELLS, ROOFS, POULTRY, ANIMALS, MARKETS, ELLIPTIC, PARABOLOIDS, CONCRETE, BEHAVIOUR, DESIGN, PROCEDURE, METHODS, ULTIMATE, LOADS, ELASTIC, CONDITIONS, MORTAR, THICKNESS, MEMBRANES, CONSTRUCTION, PRESTRESSING, LOADING, PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS, STRAIN, MEASUREMENT, DEFLECTION, OBSERVATIONS, CRACKS, DEVELOPMENT, ONE TWELFTH, SPECIMENS, TESTING, APPARATUS, EDGES, BEAMS, STRESS, DISTRIBUTION, DEFLECTION, COLUMNS, REACTIONS, PATTERNS, CONFIGURATION, BENDING, FAILURES, FORMWORK SMITHFIELD, LONDON UK... Show All
Levels of reactive nitrogen (N) in the atmosphere have declined by around 25% in Europe since 1990. Ecosystem services provide a framework for valuing N impacts on the environment, and this study provides a synthesis of evidence for atmospheric N deposition effects on ecosystem services. We estimate the marginal economic value of the decline in N deposition on six ecosystem services in the UK. This decline resulted in a net benefit (Equivalent Annual Value) of £65 m (£5 m to £123 m, 95% CI). There was a cost (loss of value) for provisioning services: timber and livestock production of −£6.2 m (−£3.5 m to −£9.2 m, 95% CI). There was a cost for CO2 sequestration and a benefit for N2O emissions which combined amounted to a cost for greenhouse gas regulation of −£15.7 m (−£4.5 m to −£30.6 m). However, there were benefits for the cultural services of recreational fishing and appreciation of biodiversity, which amounted to £87.7 m (£13.1 m to £163.0 m), outweighing costs to provisioning and regulating services. Knowledge gaps in both the under-pinning science and in the value-transfer evidence prevent economic valuation of many services, particularly for cultural services, providing only a partial picture of N impacts which may underestimate the benefits of reducing N deposition.
People-environment interactions within nature-based solutions (NBS) are not always understood. This has implications for communicating the benefits of NBS and for how we plan cities. We present a framework that highlights a duality in NBS. The NBS as an asset includes both natural capital and human-centred capital, including organisational structures. NBS also exist as a system within which people are able to interact. Temporal and spatial scales moderate the benefits that NBS provide, which in turn are dependent on the scale at which social processes operate. Co-production and equity are central to the interactions among people and institutions in the design, use and management of NBS, and this requires clear communication. Drawing on ideas from culture-based development (CBD), we suggest an approach to communicate the benefits of NBS in a neutral but effective way. We propose guidelines for planning NBS that allow the optimisation of NBS locations and designs for particular outcomes.
