Premium
Application of ecosystem services in natural resource management decision making
Author(s) -
Moore David W,
Booth Pieter,
Alix Anne,
Apitz Sabine E,
Forrow David,
HuberSannwald Elisabeth,
Jayasundara Nishad
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
integrated environmental assessment and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1551-3793
pISSN - 1551-3777
DOI - 10.1002/ieam.1838
Subject(s) - process (computing) , ecosystem management , environmental resource management , natural resource , natural resource management , ecosystem services , key (lock) , resource (disambiguation) , resource management (computing) , natural (archaeology) , ecosystem , computer science , process management , business , risk analysis (engineering) , environmental science , ecology , geography , computer network , computer security , archaeology , biology , operating system
An ecosystem services (ES) approach to natural resource management (NRM) can provide the framework for balancing economic, ecological, and societal drivers in decision making. The efficacy of such an approach depends on the successful execution of several key activities, from early and continuous engagement with relevant stakeholders, to development and application of ecological production functions (EPFs), to explicit recognition of uncertainty in the process. Although there are obstacles to the implementation of an ES approach in NRM, including unclear regulatory and policy frameworks and the paucity of useful EPFs, many of the tools are currently available or sufficiently developed. An ES approach can and, in some cases, should involve qualitative rather than quantitative assessment when the stakes are not very high or when quantitative approaches would not be cost effective because of highly uncertain results. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:74–84. © 2016 SETAC.