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Ecosystem services, and resilience to climate and environmental change

Marc Metzger @MJ_Metzger

The challenge: a rapidly changing world

Anthropocene,

since 1784 (Crutzen)

Great acceleration,

from 1950 (Steffen)

Ecosystem Services a popular concept

Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services

EBS Target 2: “by 2020, ecosystems and their services [will be] maintained and enhanced”

Ecosystem Services concept

Strengths • Systemic

• Policy momentum

• Growing number of exemplars

Opportunities • New partnerships

• Collaborative dialogue and action

• Embedding conservation in environmental sustainability

Resilience: the capacity to recover

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.07.006

Resilient ecosystems to maintain ecosystem services

CBD Ecosystem Approach Principle 5

Conservation of ecosystem structure and functioning, in order to maintain ecosystem services, should be a priority target of the ecosystem approach.

Biodiversity conservation and the maintenance of human wellbeing depend on the functioning and resilience of natural ecosystems.

https://www.cbd.int/doc/publications/ea-text-en.pdf

Enhancing Ecosystem Services Resilience

https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-051211-123836

1. Maintain diversity and redundancy 2. Manage slow variables and feedbacks 3. Manage connectivity 4. Enhance learning and experimentation 5. Foster understanding of social-

ecological systems as complex adaptive systems

6. Broaden participation 7. Promote polycentric governance

systems

Image: https://www.geography.org.uk/Managing-Flood-Risk--Wallasea-Island-Case-Study

Anja Liski

Citizen participation in climate change adaptation

in the Inner Forth

Talking Forth

Firth of Forth

Kennet Pans

Inch of Ferryton & Park Farm

Black Devon Wetlands

Rhind

Cambus

Haugh of Blackgrange

Bandeath

Dunmore to South Alloa

Airth to Dunmore

Skinflats

Bothkennar Pools

Kinneil Lagoon Existing salt marsh and mudflat

Areas that could be improved

Core paths

Wetland vs Farmland

Talking Forth workshops

Findings

• Citizens want to be engaged and are articulate about their views

• Citizen were eager to learn and understand the importance of wetland habitat

• There was considerable willingness and support for managed realignment and willingness to contribute financially

150 million ha by 2020 350 million ha by 2030

10-15k ha per year

Different forests provide different benefits

Sing et al., 2018. Forestry 91: 151-164

Different stakeholders want different forests

Workshop &

Interviews

Visions Content

analysis

53

documents

Burton et al. 2018. Landscape Ecology, in press

Land sparing

Land sharing

Conservation Utility

Burton et al. 2018. Landscape Ecology, in press

Green Gold utility – land sparing

Burton et al., Landscape Ecology in press

Wild Woodlands conservation – land sparing

Burton et al., Landscape Ecology in press

Pentland Hills Regional Park Katja Schmidt

Schmidt et al., 2016 MRD 36:465-474

Understanding land management preferences

Lochaber Forest District Louise Sing

Visualising preferences

Visualising preferences

Visualising preferences

C3 n=266 Nature enthusiasts

C2 n=89 Multi-functionalists

C1 n=78 Traditionalists

C4 n=118 Recreation seekers

C5 n=31 Forest enthusiasts

TOw

ind

TOsh

eep

TOin

sp

TOre

crea

tio

n

TOb

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s

TOfo

rest

Clustering preferences

n=73

Traditionalists

Clustering preferences

“Forest enthusiasts“ “nature enthusiasts“

„Multi- functionalist“

n=88 n=73

Multi-functionalists Traditionalists

Clustering preferences

“Forest enthusiasts“ “nature enthusiasts“

„Multi- functionalist“

n=88 n=269 n=73

Multi-functionalists Nature enthusiasts Traditionalists

Clustering preferences

“Forest enthusiasts“ „Multi- functionalist“

n=88 n=269 n=82 n=73

Multi-functionalists Nature enthusiasts Recreation seekers Traditionalists

Clustering preferences

“Forest enthusiasts“ “nature enthusiasts“

„Multi- functionalist“

n=88 n=269 n=82 n=51 n=73

Multi-functionalists Nature enthusiasts Recreation seekers Woodland enthusiasts Traditionalists

Clustering preferences

SNH funded follow-up to work with Consultative Forum and land owners to support next 10 year management plan

Final thoughts

We need resilient ecosystems to maintain ecosystem services and deliver multiple benefits. Therefore we must strive to:

1. Maintain diversity and redundancy

2. Manage slow variables and feedbacks

3. Manage connectivity

4. Enhance learning and experimentation

5. Foster understanding of social-ecological

6. Broaden participation

7. Promote polycentric governance systems

marc.metzger@ed.ac.uk ; @mj_metzger