U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Animal migration and spatial subsidies: Establishing a framework for conservation markets Darius Semmens 1 , Laura López-Hoffman 2 , and Jay Diffendorfer 1 1 USGS Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center, Denver CO 2 School of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ USGS Powell Center Working Group Economics - Ken Bagstad, John Loomis, Josh Goldstein, Jim Boyd Pintails - Wayne Thogmartin, Brady Mattson, Jim Dubovsky Bats – Gary McCraken, Rodrigo Medellin, Paul Cryan, Ruscena Weiderholt Monarchs – Karen Oberhauser, Leslie Ries
Transcript
U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey
Animal migration and spatial subsidies: Establishing a framework for conservation markets
Darius Semmens1, Laura López-Hoffman2, and Jay Diffendorfer1
1USGS Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center, Denver CO2School of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ
USGS Powell Center Working Group
Economics - Ken Bagstad, John Loomis, Josh Goldstein, Jim BoydPintails - Wayne Thogmartin, Brady Mattson, Jim DubovskyBats – Gary McCraken, Rodrigo Medellin, Paul Cryan, Ruscena WeiderholtMonarchs – Karen Oberhauser, Leslie Ries
Outline
Original problem: Assess and value services on a “critical” migratory flyway
Migration support
Migratory services
Spatial subsidies model
Implications
Methods and data needs
San Pedro River basin:Flyway value?
Original Problem
San Pedro widely considered a “critical” N-S flyway for neotropical migrant bird species
Past research focused on value of San Pedro as a result of local ecotourism, primarily birding
If San Pedro is critical flyway supporting migration to and from N. America, its value should also reflect this role
How do we assign value for services San Pedro supports OUTSIDE of its boundary? What is this called?
A new type of Ecosystem Service – Migration Support Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Provisioning Services Regulating Services Cultural Services Supporting Services
Soil formation, nutrient cycling, primary production
We argue that sustaining animals during migration is another type of supporting service - migration support.
What is migration support? The degree to which one location supports
the provision of ecosystem services in other locations by contributing to the overall viability of migratory populations
Are some areas in fact more important than others for population maintenance? Quantify limits to current populations
Food, water, or other resources Land/habitat area Harvest (deliberate or incidental) Pollutants
Migratory Services
All ecosystem services provided by a migratory species throughout its range. Pollination Pest control Food Seed dispersal Cultural, etc.
Motion distinguishes these species from the ecosystems they visit; it necessitates a species-focused approach to the assessment & valuation of their services
Spatial Subsidies Migration support is always a 2-way street; it is both provided
and received The San Pedro supports migratory species and the services they
provide in other areas BUT, the services these species provide in the San Pedro are
dependent upon other areas as well
The spatial subsidy at any given location is the net balance between migratory services received and migration support provided.
Measures the degree to which the provision of migratory services in one location is subsidized by ecological conditions and processes in other locations.
In effect, it is the amount a given location owes other locations for supporting migratory species and the services they provide locally.
Key Concept
The spatial linkages created by migration mean that any consideration of the ES provided by a migratory species at a single location independently is incomplete We must quantify benefits and support
everywhere before we can understand them anywhere.
Model - definitions
Two primary parameters are required to calculate the subsidy. Both have to be estimated throughout the migratory range.
Value of services provided by a species at each location Direct and indirect
Proportional dependence of a species on each location Degree to which the location contributes to the
maintenance of the population as a whole
Model – value of a place
Net annual value at a location, adjusted for external subsidies from migration
Foundation for the establishment of markets E.g. conservation payments directed towards limiting habitat could
incentivize adoption of BMPs
Sustainable & equitable allocation of exploited migratory species
Better estimates of ES value at a location
Methods & Data Needs
Accounting for service value by species is a different approach – current focus is endpoints Need spatial information on species interactions, with
humans and ecosystems, to understand and model both direct and indirect benefits
Socioeconomic data to value benefits Citizen science
Proportional dependence has to be modeled Multisite demographic models Metapopulation models Migratory network model
Semmens, D.J., J.E. Diffendorfer, L. Lopez-Hoffman, and C.S. Shapiro, 2011. Accounting for the ecosystem services of migratory species: Quantifying migration support and spatial subsidies. Ecological Economics 70 (12): 2236-2242.
