6 th UK Biodiversity Indicator Forum: Ecosystem Service Indicators MEGAN TIERNEY Ecosystem...

6th UK Biodiversity Indicator Forum: Ecosystem Service Indicators

MEGAN TIERNEY

Ecosystem Assessment Programme

UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre

Ecosystem Service Indicators, 6th UK BIF, UNEP-WCMC: December 2012

Biodiversity Indicators – Reporting Gaps

UK government committed to reporting against global, regional and national frameworks to address biodiversity lossOne method for doing this is through the use of indicators Gap identified in UK indicator set was ability to report on benefits humans receive from the environment – i.e. ecosystem services (ESS)Indicator D2 in UK set (see p32 of BIYP 2012)


CBD Aichi Targets

Aichi Target with most relevance to ESS is Target 14:

“...By 2020, ecosystems that provide essential services, including services related to water, and contribute to health, livelihoods and well-being are restored and safeguarded, taking into account the needs of women, indigenous and local communities, and the poor and vulnerable...”


Developing a UK Ecosystem Service Indicator

Task: develop an indicator(s) of the status of ecosystems that provide essential services in a UK context



Progress to date:Identifying potential ESS indicators and

datasets:o Review of UK National Ecosystem

Assessment (UK NEA)o Online surveyo Other ESS indicator initiatives/reviews



Progress to date:Workshop:

o Aim – explore possibilities of developing indicators of ESS for the UK and use specific selection criteria to prioritise 3-5 indicators to present as options to the UK Biodiversity Indicator Steering Group



Sticking points:How do you identify essential services?Develop indicators around habitats or services?Relationship between ecosystem services and biodiversity?

oReflection of biodiversity that has an ecosystem service component?

o Indicator of ecosystem services that has a biodiversity component?

o Indicator that shows the role of biodiversity in ecosystem services?Which part of the service do we measure - stock, flow,

benefit? Trends in natural capital?What policy questions could an indicator of ESS address?

No indicator options agreedEcosystem Service Indicators, 6th UK BIF, UNEP-WCMC: December

2012


Aichi Target with most relevance to ESS is Target 14:

“...By 2020, ecosystems that provide essential services, including services related to water, and contribute to health, livelihoods and well-being are restored and safeguarded, taking into account the needs of women, indigenous and local communities, and the poor and vulnerable...”



Identification of key ESS and the ecosystems (habitats) that deliver them in the UK:

Ecosystem Service Primary ecosystem(s) that delivers service

Soil formation Uplands, Woodlands

Carbon sequestration Woodlands, Peatlands

(Local) climate regulation Urban

Pollination Agricultural, Urban

Pest and disease regulation Agricultural, Woodlands

Water quality and quantity Multiple

Wild fish Freshwaters, Marine

Wild species diversity (biodiversity) Multiple

Open access recreation Woodlands, Uplands

Discussion Points

1. Essential services and habitats Does the list of services identified adequately cover

the services of key importance to the UK?oAre there other ecosystem services that are

essential in the UK context?oWhat ecosystems deliver these services?oAre there other ecosystem services identified

in the country biodiversity strategies that should be developed?


Discussion Points

2. PrioritisationThe number of indicators needs to be limited

to a reasonable operational number.oHow should these services be prioritised

for indicator development?


Discussion Points

3. Strength of evidenceWhat is the strength of evidence linking trends in

habitat extent and condition, or species abundance, distribution and diversity with delivery of the ecosystem service?

o What data is currently available to demonstrate this relationship?

o Can the relationship be quantified? How easy is it to do this?

o Could an indicator reflecting this relationship be developed?


Exercises

Exercise 1 – Prioritisation:

Place coloured dot next to the services that have been identified which you feel is of highest priority

o Can place all 5 dots on one service or spread them amongst the services

Add additional services (and the habitats that provide them) to blank sheets.

o Include justification for why important and evidence to support this.


Exercises

Exercise 2 – Strength of Evidence:For the prioritised list of services, use post-it notes

to provide information on:o Data available to demonstrate relationship between

service delivery and trends in habitat extent/condition, or species abundance, distribution, diversity.

o Could relationship be quantified?o What might an indicator look like?


Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Indicators, Natural England: September 2012

Ecosystem Service Indicators

ESIs are relevant to a range of the new CBD targets

Most explicit ref is Strategic Goal ‘D’ (Enhancing benefits) and Target 14 in particular (by 2020, ecosystems that provide services are restored and safe-guarded)

Will also play large role in IPBESA number of indicators have been identified as ready for implementation, but many need development.


Ecosystem Service Indicators

www.cbd.int/ts

What we knowIssues and Challenges


Which metrics are being used?

All four services are being measured in various assessments

Most common and well-developed indicators are for PROVISIONING services

Primarily for food, water, fuel


Ecosystem Services and Decision-Making, Prague: April 2012

Which services are being assessed

Relatively few underlying metrics

Majority related to:Extent/condition/stock of habitat or ecosystem - e.g. extent of forest, amount of carbon storedSupply or use (output) of the service – e.g. tonnes of wheat harvested, number of visitors to protected area



Pattern reflects what is measurable and what is available to measure

Many cases, major gaps in data availability

Habitats and biodiversity often used as proxies for ecosystem services



Few measures of ecosystem functioningMost metrics are of composition and structure as this is easier to measureThis is o.k. if structural/compositional attributes reflect functional attributes

But generally relationship between ecosystem function and services poorly understood

Measures of ecosystem structure and composition may be poor indicators of ecosystem service


Roll of modelling and mapping

Some metrics can be modelled rather than measured directly e.g. carbon storage can be modelled from total

forest extent (using production function)Does need good understanding of link

between condition of the system and provision of service

Models can be used to map ecosystem services


Carbon storage in Little Karoo, South AfricaService mapped, based on research and expert opinion of carbon storage values of different habitat types



Maps of ecosystem services are useful and becoming more common

BUT – very data intensive and difficult to represent uncertainty

Many currently based on crude estimates and require model verification


What scale are services measured at?


What scale are services measured at?

Global indicators could have limited use at local scales – coarse resolution or limited data

Alternative methods and metrics may be needed for local decision making


Key Issues & Challenges

Key challenges identified: Logistical constraints (time and money) associated

with long- and short-term monitoring programmes

Technical issues:o Prioritisationo What to measureo Bundlingo Scaleo Communication


Prioritising Indicators

Indicators are used to track progress towards targets and form basis of socio-economic decisions

BUT policy contexts change over time (and space)


Prioritising Indicators

Therefore indicator selection should be based on case-by-case basis

Aim to meet overall objectives of assessment and needs of decision of makers

Will need to consider how to best use available resources to develop/use indicators

Aim to address key elements and information gaps


Should we assess single or multiple ESS

Assessing services with a single indicator generally not sufficient for most assessmentsTrade-offs

Assessing a single service also not sufficientHave to go beyond provisioning!

How many?Will be linked to assessment objectives and data availability


Choosing metrics

Do we need to have indicators of function?Not always, but could help design condition/stock or benefit/impact indicatorse.g. understanding the function of water flux (e.g. through rainfall and runoff) may help management and mitigation of impacts on hydrological services


Data availability and proxies

Need to consider what data is available to meet objectives

Can baseline data be incorporated into existing indicators?Should there be investment in new data collection and indicator development?Can/should proxies be used?

oProxies only useful if any change in these metrics accurately indicates change in service of focus


Communication

Major challenge to communicationFinding a common language

Mainstreaming also difficultNeed to involve policy makers and stakeholders from the beginning


Biodiversity

Important that ecosystem services considered alongside biodiversity – not as an alternative.Should it be considered as underpinning all ecosystem services, a service itself or a good that can be valued?Mace et al. (2012) argue for biodiversity having a role at all levels

Mace et al. (2012) TREE. 27: 19-26

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is still declining globally

Many benefits to HWB are dependent on the condition/extent of ecosystems which can be measured by species and their interactions

Could biodiversity indicators act as proxies for ecosystem service flow?


Ongoing & Future Work


Intersessional Support: catalogue of assessments

IPBES programme of work

Assessment tools and methodsCapacity buildingIndicator development

Challenges/Questions


Access to resources (funding, expertise, data)

Sufficient stakeholder/audience consultation

Project-based data collection and/or management

Data utilised not sensitive to change

An after-thought to a wider process of strategy

development and target setting

Challenges to ensuring development of successful indicators

Challenges/Questions


How to prioritise indicators

Do you assess single or multiple indicators? (bundles?)

How do you move beyond provisioning?

What data can be used? Collect new?

What is the best way of communicating indicators?

How is biodiversity incorporated /considered in

ecosystem service context?

Challenges to developing ecosystem service indicators

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6 th UK Biodiversity Indicator Forum: Ecosystem Service Indicators MEGAN TIERNEY Ecosystem...

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