TY - JOUR

T1 - Guidance for assessing interregional ecosystem service flows

AU - Koellner, Thomas

AU - Bonn, Aletta

AU - Arnhold, Sebastian

AU - Bagstad, Kenneth J.

AU - Fridman, Dor

AU - Guerra, Carlos A.

AU - Kastner, Thomas

AU - Kissinger, Meidad

AU - Kleemann, Janina

AU - Kuhlicke, Christian

AU - Liu, Jianguo

AU - López-Hoffman, Laura

AU - Marques, Alexandra

AU - Martín-López, Berta

AU - Schulp, Catharina J.E.

AU - Wolff, Sarah

AU - Schröter, Matthias

PY - 2019/10

Y1 - 2019/10

N2 - Ecosystem services (ES) assessments commonly focus on a specific biophysical region or nation and take its geographic borders as the system boundary. Most geographical regions are, however, not closed systems but are open and telecoupled with other regions, such that the use of ES in one location is dependent on ecosystem processes and ecological management in other locations. Interregional ES flows often affect national economies and may trigger issues of national security and global equity. To date, however, methodologies for assessing interregional flows of ES have been published in dispersed literature. This paper provides a three-step guidance for how to assess four different types of interregional ES flows (traded goods, passive biophysical flows, species migration and dispersal as well as information flows). This guidance is intended to complement national and regional ecosystem assessments. The three steps are to (i) define the goal and scope of interregional ES flow assessments, (ii) quantify the interregional ES flows using a tiered approach and (iii) interpret results in terms of uncertainties, consequences and governance options. We compile different indicators for assessing interregional ES flows and evaluate their suitability for national and regional ES assessments. Finally, to assess the implications of interregional ES flows for environmental sustainability and human well-being, we relate our flow indicators to the Sustainable Development Goals. This guidance towards systematic assessment of interregional ES flows provides a first step to measure and quantify externalised environmental costs and can contribute to the development of indicators to address interregional imbalances in trade, foreign policy and beyond.

AB - Ecosystem services (ES) assessments commonly focus on a specific biophysical region or nation and take its geographic borders as the system boundary. Most geographical regions are, however, not closed systems but are open and telecoupled with other regions, such that the use of ES in one location is dependent on ecosystem processes and ecological management in other locations. Interregional ES flows often affect national economies and may trigger issues of national security and global equity. To date, however, methodologies for assessing interregional flows of ES have been published in dispersed literature. This paper provides a three-step guidance for how to assess four different types of interregional ES flows (traded goods, passive biophysical flows, species migration and dispersal as well as information flows). This guidance is intended to complement national and regional ecosystem assessments. The three steps are to (i) define the goal and scope of interregional ES flow assessments, (ii) quantify the interregional ES flows using a tiered approach and (iii) interpret results in terms of uncertainties, consequences and governance options. We compile different indicators for assessing interregional ES flows and evaluate their suitability for national and regional ES assessments. Finally, to assess the implications of interregional ES flows for environmental sustainability and human well-being, we relate our flow indicators to the Sustainable Development Goals. This guidance towards systematic assessment of interregional ES flows provides a first step to measure and quantify externalised environmental costs and can contribute to the development of indicators to address interregional imbalances in trade, foreign policy and beyond.

KW - Ecosystem services flows

KW - Interregional

KW - National ecosystem assessment

KW - Ecosystems Research

U2 - 10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.04.046

DO - 10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.04.046

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 105

SP - 92

EP - 106

JO - Ecological Indicators

JF - Ecological Indicators

SN - 1470-160X

ER -