Field Evidence That Ecosystem Service Projects Support Biodiversity and

Diversify Options

Rebecca L Goldman, Heather Tallis, Peter Kareiva, Gretchen Daily

A Conference on Ecosystem Services (ACES)9 December 2008

Two focal questions

1) How do biodiversity approaches differ from ecosystem service approaches?

2) Can ecosystem service approaches mainstream conservation?

Conservation approaches

• Land purchase• Easement purchase• Focus on species and

habitats

Biodiversity Approach

Conservation approaches

• Land purchase• Easement purchase• Focus on species and

habitats

Biodiversity Approach

Reserves: too few, too small, too isolatedPurchase: too costly; too many people

Conservation approaches

• Land purchase• Easement purchase• Focus on species and

habitats

• Service goals• Consider human well-

being

Biodiversity Approach

Ecosystem service Approach

Reserves: too few, too small, too isolatedPurchase: too costly; too many people

What are Ecosystem Services?

The benefits people obtain from ecosystems

Supporting servicesPreserving options

Provisioning services Regulating services

Cultural services

Two focal questions

1) How do biodiversity approaches differ from ecosystem service approaches?

2) Can ecosystem service approaches mainstream conservation?

Do ecosystem service approaches:

Targeted Systems?

Protected Areas?

Participation?

Targeted Systems?

Protected Areas?

Do ecosystem service approaches:

Participation?

Reward Mechanisms?

Targeted Systems?

Protected Areas?

Do ecosystem service approaches:

Participation?

Reward Mechanisms?

Diversity of Revenue Streams?

Targeted Systems?

Protected Areas?

Do ecosystem service approaches:

Methods

• TNC case study• Semi-structured interviews• Project implementation

– Questions about monitoring

• Database – 34 ES projects– 26 BD projects

• US, Central, South America• Statistical analysis

– Chi-square– Mean/SE

Targeted Systems?

Protected Areas?

Do ecosystem service approaches:

Ecosystem service projects include new landscapes

* p<.05

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Ecosystem service projects do NOT leave reserves behind

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Ecosystem service projects address the same threats

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Participation?

Do ecosystem service approaches:

Photo by: Nestor Windvoxhel, TNC

Ecosystem service projects engage new stakeholders

* p<.05

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Do ecosystem service approaches:

Reward Mechanisms?

Photo by: Chris Matson, TNC

Ecosystem service projects use a greater variety of finance tools

* p<.05**p<.01

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Ecosystem service projects use a greater variety of finance tools

* p<.05**p<.01

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Ecosystem service projects use a greater variety of finance tools

* p<.05**p<.01

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Ecosystem service projects use a greater variety of finance tools

* p<.05**p<.01

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Ecosystem service projects can use finance tools abroad

**p<.01

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Do ecosystem service approaches:

Diversity of Revenue Streams?

Ecosystem service projects diversify revenue streams

**p<.01

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Ecosystem service projects diversify revenue streams

* p<.05

Goldman et al. 2008 PNAS

Potential of ecosystem service approach

Work with agricultural landscapes

Potential of ecosystem service approach

Work with agricultural landscapes Retain private landownership

Potential of ecosystem service approach

Work with agricultural landscapes Retain private landownership

Use more finance tools

Potential of ecosystem service approach

Work with agricultural landscapes Retain private landownership

Use more finance tools Expand funding from corporate sources

What is needed:

Outcome-based monitoringMeasure of return on investment

THANKS!Acknowledgements

TNC staff and partners

My co-authors

Heather Tallis

Peter Kareiva

Gretchen Daily

Funding sources:

Teresa Heinz Environmental Scholars

National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship

My Contact Info:rgoldman@tnc.org