Contribution in an anthology

Appeared in: A conceptual framework for “The future Okavango Project” (TFO) : Research on Ecosystem Services and Landuse in the Okavango Basin

Editor list: Seidel, H; Gröngröft, A; Pröpper, M

Publication year: 2012

Pages: 46-54

URL: http://www.future-okavango.org/downloads/TFO_Conceptual_Framework_Final.pdf

Title of series: TFO online working paper

Number in series: 2012,1

Abstract: 

The greatest challenge for broad ecosystem services assessment projects, such as in TFO, is the applicability of its research results for implementation in decision-making. Despite the popularity of the concept of ecosystem service (ESS), its practical application in land use management has been slow. According to Elmqvist et al. (2010), this can be related to our limited knowledge of (i) how ESS are interrelated, (ii) the influence of scale on the demand and supply of ESS, and (iii) the potential trade-offs among ecosystem services – especially among regulating and provisioning services (sensu MA, 2005).
Analyzing the interrelations among ESS, in particular trade-offs/synergies, from the ecological and user perspective is necessary to ensure that ecological research results can be implemented. Since ESS are not fully independent; rather, they are part of the socioecological system and may be mutually dependent, policies affecting one ESS may as well affect the spatial and-temporal pattern of others (Nelson et al., 2008). In addition, information on relationships among ESS and with other economic objectives may be helpful to untangle conflicts in a structured and transparent manner. Yet, little has been achieved in research on trade-offs among ESS (Seppelt et al., 2011) and the need for the development of new tools has been highlighted by Burkhard et al. (2012).
This chapter depicts trade-offs among ESS and between ESS and other land use management goals from a theoretical perspective. It then presents the TFO approach for a trade-offs analysis of ESS occurring in the Okavango River catchment, southern Africa, at multiple scales.

Harvard Citation style: Domptail, S., Nuppenau, E., Brown, L., Falk, T., Finckh, M., Große, L., et al. (2012) Trade-offs and synergies among ESS and between ecosystem services and well-being in resource management, in Seidel, H., Gröngröft, A. and Pröpper, M. (eds.) A conceptual framework for “The future Okavango Project” (TFO) : Research on Ecosystem Services and Landuse in the Okavango Basin. Hamburg: Universität Hamburg, pp. 46-54. http://www.future-okavango.org/downloads/TFO_Conceptual_Framework_Final.pdf

APA Citation style: Domptail, S., Nuppenau, E., Brown, L., Falk, T., Finckh, M., Große, L., Kowalski, B., Pröpper, M., & Overmann, J. (2012). Trade-offs and synergies among ESS and between ecosystem services and well-being in resource management. In Seidel, H., Gröngröft, A., & Pröpper, M. (Eds.), A conceptual framework for “The future Okavango Project” (TFO) : Research on Ecosystem Services and Landuse in the Okavango Basin (pp. 46-54). Universität Hamburg. http://www.future-okavango.org/downloads/TFO_Conceptual_Framework_Final.pdf