Ecosystem Services Analysis in

Relation to Water Accounting

Lars Hein

Contents presentation

Topic: How do ecosystem dynamics influence the value of water relevant for the third step of water accounting: ‘recording the

productivity resulting from water consumption in river basins’ (http://www.wateraccounting.com/)

Ecosystem dynamics and values Case studies Ecosystem scale

Water Management in De Wieden Water in the Ferlo, Senegal, a semi-arid ecosystem

Case study Landscape Scale: Ecosystem Services in the Gelderse Valley

Implications for Water Accounting

Ecosystem dynamics and values: ecosystem services

Ecosystem services = the benefits provided by ecosystems (MA, 2003)

Step 2. Assessment of ecosystem

services in bio-physical terms

Step 3. Valuation using monetary, or

other, indicators

Step 4. Aggregation or comparison

of the different values

Step 1. Specification of the boundaries

of the system to be valued

Provisioning services Regulating services Cultural services

Direct use values Indirect use values Option values Non-use values

Ecosystem

Total value

Ecosystem dynamics

Ecosystem Services in a dynamic context

Consumption

Production

Pressures

Management Ecosystem

services

Ecosystem dynamics

Dispersion,transformation

Waste treatment

Aquatic

ecosystem

Case 1. Ecosystem services in De Wieden

The De Wieden wetland (NLs) is one of the largest lowland peatland mashes in Western Europe, in total around 6000 ha.

It is a Ramsar wetland, a Natura 2000 site, and of principal importance for nature conservation in the Netherlands

What are the key ecosystem services supplied by the Weiden, what is their economic value, and how are they influenced by water quality management ?

Location and map of De Wieden

Ecosystem services in De Wieden

Economic value of the ecosystem services in De

Wieden

Model to analyse impacts of nutrient pollution control

impacts

costs

without biomanipulation with biomanipulation

benefits

P-loading

P-concentration

Turbidity

Algae growth

Macrophyte growth

Eutrophication control measures

Lake clearness

Net benefits of eutrophication control

Benefits of clear water

Lake dynamics in De Wieden

Constructing the abatement curve (2)

y = 0.134x2 + 1.32x

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0 5 10 15

Reduction in total-P loading (ton P/year)

Total costs (mln euro)

Functional relations in the model – an example

Relation between nutrient concentrations and algae growth

y = 150x

0

10

20

30

0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1

Concentration total-P (mg/l)

Chl

orop

hyll

a (u

g/l)

Impacts of reduced nutrient loading on ecosystem

services supply

Fisheries Neutral: eel is relatively insensitive to turbidity and nutrient concentrations

Reed harvesting Neutral

Recreation Enhanced value for swimmers and people on boats

Nature conservation All threatened (red-list) species would benefit, none would suffer

Results (1)

Results (2)

NPV of eutrophication control - for incremental benefits of 1 mln euro/year

-20-15-10-505

10

0 2 4 6 8 10

Reduction in P-loading

NP

V (

mln

eur

o) .

Case study 2: The Ferlo (Senegal)

In the Ferlo, livestock grazing is the main source of income; but sustained, heavy grazing pressures have an impact on the vegetation. This impact depends to a large extent on the annual rainfall.

Question: how does rainwater availability influence livestock production ?

The Ferlo - the model

Rain-use efficiency

Effective rain

Grass production

Livestock production

Animal feed consumption

Income

Stocking density

Livestock prices

Source: Weikard and Hein, in press, Hein and Weikard, 2008, Hein, 2006

Rainfall and grazing as drivers for productivity

Case 3: Ecosystem Services Supply at the Scale of the

Landscape the Gelderse Valley, the Netherlands

7 Ecosystem services: arable agriculture, intensive livestock holding, tourism, leisure cycling, residential areas, plant habitat, water extraction.

Main aim: how can ecosystem services be identified in the landscape

:

Allocating values to ecosystem services in the landscape

1. Delineation: Landscape functions are directly observable from the land cover or are defined by policy regulations. Arable land, intensive livestock holdings, residential,

drinking water extraction zones 2. No or partial delineation: Non-directly observable

landscape functions without strict delineations. Tourism, leisure cycling, plant habitat

Maps depicting the value of ecosystem service supply

Source: Willemen et al., 2008, Willemen et al., 2010

Implications for water accounting (1)

Ecosystem service approach has the advantage of allowing comprehensive analysis of benefits provided by land / water

But ecosystem service supply is dynamic, and current benefits does not necessarily represent the maximum or sustainable benefits that can be supplied. Current supply Maximum sustainable biological harvest Efficient harvest Sustainable harvest vis-à-vis natural reference situation

Implications for water accounting (2)

Different approaches needed to quantify ecosystem services at different scales, in particular for regulation services.

Implications for water accounting (3)

Large scale conversion of ecosystems would lead to price effects of ecosystem services. How are total values accounted for in Accounting ?

At the global scales, total values for essential life support services (water supply, oxygen) may approach infinity