The UK ecosystem research landscape

Mark Reed

• Many UK programmes funding research on Ecosystems Approach and ecosystem services

• Many of the same end users/stakeholders

• By co-ordinating knowledge exchange:

– Less stakeholder fatigue

– More comprehensive information for decision-makers

– Work together to respond rapidly to emerging issues

– More impact, less resources

• Stellar Communications Group – uniting UK ecosystems research

Analysis

Currently active, UK-based research programmes that promote or draw upon both the Ecosystems Approach & ecosystem services framework…

What research did we consider?

• Centre for Ecology & Hydrology's (CEH) water and biodiversity programme

• NERC's Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Sustainability (BESS) programme

• Follow-on to the National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA2)

• DfID/NERC/ESRC funded Ecosystem Services & Poverty Alleviation programme (ESPA)

• Scottish Government's Strategic Research Programme (SRP) Theme 1: Ecosystem Services

• NERC's Insect Pollinators Initiative (IPI)

• NERC's Valuing Nature Network (VNN)

• Overlap between:

– Programme goals

– Stakeholders

– Planned knowledge exchange activities

Improve evidence re: relationships between

ecosystem processes and natural capital

stocks/ecosystem service flows under different

scenarios

Shared by BESS x2, CEH, ESPA x2, NEA2, SRP x2, VNN,

Develop tools to measure, track & map changes in ecosystem

services under different scenarios

Shared by BESS, CEH,

NEA2, SRP

Policy instruments for the sustainable management of

ecosystem services

Shared by CEH, ESPA, IPI, NEA2, SRP

Understand how different social groups value

ecosystem services & incorporate these values in decision-making processes

Shared by ESPA, NEA2,

VNN, SRP Methods to value

contribution of natural capital stocks & ecosystem

services to human well-being

Shared by NEA2, VNN, SRP

Which goals are shared? Size of circle is proportional to no. programmes sharing a goal

BESS: Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services & Sustainability programme

CEH: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology biodiversity & water programmes

ESPA: Ecosystem Services & Poverty Alleviation programme

IPI: Insect Pollinators Initiative NEA2: National Ecosystem Assessment

follow-on phase SRP: Scottish Government's Strategic

Research Programme Theme 1: Ecosystem Services

VNN: Valuing Nature Network

Which programmes share most similar goals?

Valuing Nature Network (VNN)

National Ecosystem

Assessment (NEA2)

Scottish

Government SRP

Ecosystem Services & Poverty Alleviation (ESPA)

3 shared goals: • Sustainable management

of ecosystem services • Incorporating different

values into decision-making

• Methods for valuing natural capital &

ecosystem services

3 shared goals: • Sustainable management

of ecosystem services • Incorporating different

values into decision-making

• Relationships between ecosystem processes,

stocks & flows

BESS, CEH, NEA2 2 shared goals:

• Relationships between ecosystem processes, stocks

& flows • Measuring, tracking and

mapping ecosystem services

BESS: Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services &

Sustainability programme CEH: Centre for Ecology &

Hydrology biodiversity & water programmes

IPI: Insect Pollinators Initiative

NEA2: National Ecosystem Assessment follow-on

phase SRP: Scottish Government's

Strategic Research Programme Theme 1:

Ecosystem Services

IPI 1 shared goal: • Sustainable management of

ecosystem services

Ecosystems research

programmes

LWEC

Research funded knowledge exchange

e.g. RELU, NERC fellows/interns, ESKTN, ESRC KE projects like Landbridge

Government funded knowledge exchange

e.g. EKN, EMTF, NCI, ClimateXChange, CREW

e.g. Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly Government, Defra, BIS, DECC, DfT, DARDNI, DFID

Devolved Administratio

ns & Govt. Depts.

Local Government

e.g. regional bodies, local councils, regional offices of NE, EA etc

Agencies & regulators

e.g. EA, SEPA, NIEPA, NE, SNH, CCW, JNCC

e.g. RSPB, National Trust

NGOs

Industry

e.g. agricultural companies & unions, professional bodies, water utilities etc.

Public & local communities

e.g. those involved in landscape level management via partnerships

Working together

Early success

Future opportunities?

• Joint conferences for research users • Joint training events • Joint website and/or data sharing • Combined contacts list • More cross-programme policy briefs

– Link to ESPA briefs on impact & research into use? – New policy issues as they arise

• Work together on other ways of getting research into policy/practice – Joint films, public engagement activities…

NEA follow-on

• Strong synergies with Valuing Nature Network (already being exploited)

• Major overlap with ESPA goals – worth investigating synergies?

• Only programme working towards all 5 goals

• So, need to foster links with all programmes

• Given NEA focus on informing policy, make better use of KE initiatives to draw this research in

Next steps

• LWEC workshop in November (invite only)

• Join in: edit our Wiki

• Or email me or Ruth Welters: – Missing research programmes, users & KE initiatives

– Collaboration ideas

Get in touch

Email: Mark.Reed@bcu.ac.uk ruth.welters1@gmail.com Blog: http://www.lwec.org.uk/blogs/mark-reed/uk-ecosystems-research-landscape Ecosystems KE wiki: https://lwec.centraldesktop.com/ecp/