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TWG 11 – Global ES Flows

1. Introduction & Objectives

Currently we see many studies, which focus on mapping, modelling and valuing a set of ecosystem services for a specific region or nation. For example the EU member states are asked to map ecosystem services in the framework of the Biodiversity Strategy 2020. Quite frequently those activities chose the political border as their system boundaries assuming that the regions are closed. However, those regions are typically open with respect to fluxes of matter, energy and information. Regional studies often neglect the dependence on “overseas” ecosystem services, the ecosystem service impact of traded commodities and thus teleconnections between regions (Fig. 1). Some of these interactions between regions are directly embedded in trade flows, others cascade more indirectly through the socio-economic system. Ultimately policies aiming at enhancing ecosystem services in one region should not lead to ecosystem damage elsewhere. Open research questions are related to (i) goal and scope of assessments of interregional ES flows, (ii) practical guidelines for their biophysical quantification and (iii) for their evaluation in terms of benefits and damages.
Aim: This working group aims at elaborating methods how to complement regional assessments of ecosystem services with a global assessment of ecosystem flows to and from a specific region. This requires close collaboration with the scientific community working on material flow analysis of trade, embodied water and land, environmental footprints as well as life cycle assessment.

TWG 13 fig 1
Fig 1: Interregional flows of ecosystem services with EU as an exemplary reporter region.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Lead Team & Members

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Lead team, please contact the current lead team members.

If you are interested in becoming a member of this Working group, please click here. In addition send a brief statement of related own research, your motivation and potential contribution to TWG 11 to the lead team.

3. Activities and Outputs

The output of this working group will be a joint framework and advancing methodologies to complement regional ecosystem services studies with a global assessment of flows of ES. Towards this goal workshops organized at host institutes, sessions at the conferences of the ES Partnership as well as papers and special issues in peer reviewed journals are planned.

Thematic working group meetings:

Papers in the special issue (forthcoming) on global flows of ES in Ecosystem Services:

  • Schröter et al. (online) Interregional flows of ecosystem services: Concepts, typology and four cases. Ecosystem services
  • Fridman and Kissinger (online) An integrated biophysical and ecosystem approach as a base for ecosystem services analysis across regions. Ecosystem Services.
  • Semmens et al. (online) Quantifying ecosystem service flows at multiple scales across the range of a long-distance migratory species. Ecosystem Services.

4. Related Networks and Projects