scholarly journals Demand for nonprovisioning ecosystem services as a driver of change in the Canadian boreal zone1

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl A. Lamothe ◽  
Haibin Dong ◽  
Oscar E. Senar ◽  
Sonja Teichert ◽  
Irena F. Creed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Boreal Zone ◽  
Drivers Of Change ◽  
Natural Resource Extraction ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Ecosystem Condition ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Natural Resource Development

The Canadian boreal zone provides ecosystem services from local to global scales. Either directly or indirectly, demands for these services have and will continue to serve as drivers of change in the region. Here we present evidence for past, present, and potential future demand for maintaining nonprovisioning ecosystem services (NPrES), defined as indirect and nonmarketable services obtained from ecosystems as a driver of change in the boreal zone. Our evidence of demand stems from federal and provincial policies, actions by Indigenous peoples, and nongovernmental initiatives that aim to maintain the sustainability of natural resource extraction and ecosystem condition of the boreal. Presently, the demand for NPrES influences decisions related to natural resource development (e.g., forestry) that in turn impacts the condition of the boreal zone. Informed by the present conditions and past trends, three future scenarios to the year 2050 are presented that contrast in their trajectory—status quo, increased demand for NPrES, and decreased demand for NPrES. We also summarize the interactions among other drivers of change in the boreal and the synergies and trade-offs among the different types of demand for NPrES. Ultimately, sustainability of the boreal zone and the ecosystem services it provides will result from a complex suite of interacting drivers of change, where the balance of demands for provisioning and NPrES will continue to influence regional conditions.

scholarly journals Demand for provisioning ecosystem services as a driver of change in the Canadian boreal zone1

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maitane Erdozain ◽  
Erika C. Freeman ◽  
Camille Ouellet Dallaire ◽  
Sonja Teichert ◽  
Harry W. Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Boreal Zone ◽  
Drivers Of Change ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Provisioning Ecosystem Services ◽  
The Future

The Canadian boreal zone provides extractive goods and services (provisioning ecosystem services (PrES)) to domestic and global markets and makes a significant contribution to the Canadian economy. The intensity and location of these extractive activities, however, may positively or negatively affect the availability of other benefits that the Canadian and global society receive from the boreal. Where PrES compete, managing these activities along with their impacts to boreal ecosystems becomes a balancing act between the need for resource extraction and the continued availability of the other benefits from ecosystems. Management measures and policies are more likely to succeed if they are designed with foresight, which means accounting for how demand, a key driver of change in the boreal, may change in the future. To help this process, we present three divergent, yet plausible future scenarios based on the analysis of: (i) the capacity of the boreal to provide wood products, fossil fuels, metals and minerals, and hydropower and other renewables; (ii) past trends (1985–2015) and key events in the demand for these PrES; (iii) the interaction of demand for PrES with other drivers of change to the boreal zone; and (iv) the synergies and trade-offs between PrES. We find that historically and currently the capacity of the boreal to provide these PrES exceeds the amount currently supplied. However, the capacity of different PrES and location of extractive activities are spatially dispersed creating a spatial and temporal patchwork of associated risks to local ecosystem integrity and the supply of non-PrES. In addition, these scenarios suggest that the future of boreal PrES is very uncertain and highly dependent on how other drivers of change (namely governance and geopolitics, societal values and climate change) play out in the future. Given the spatial complexity, we find that the cumulative effect of these drivers (e.g., climate change) will determine what paths unfold for different areas of the boreal, and we conclude that careful consideration and planning must be given to ensure that the balance between PrES and non-PrES is maintained.

The March of Neocolonization Folly in the Amazon

2020 ◽  
pp. 153270862097874
Author(s):  
Marcelo Diversi
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
New World ◽  
Amazon Rainforest ◽  
Resource Extraction ◽  
Direct Connection ◽  
Natural Resource Extraction ◽  
Plant Extinction

The Amazon Rainforest is the most biodiverse place on Earth, home to hundreds of indigenous peoples, many of whom still with no or little contact with settler civilization, and of vital importance for our planet’s climate sustainability. Yet the march of neocolonization continues to advance deforestation, indigenous displacement, animal and plant extinction, unsustainable natural resource extraction, and disruption in river connectivity and to greatly contribute to global warming. In this article, I will deconstruct the narratives used to justify the Amazonian westward march in pursuit of energy, land, and natural resources, establishing a direct connection between contemporary narratives of justification and the Spanish “Requerimiento” of 1513, a declaration by the Spanish Monarchy of their divine right to conquer the New World and its peoples.

scholarly journals Ecosystem services for meeting sustainable development goals: Challenges and pathways

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazmul Huq
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Development Trajectory ◽  
Current Resource ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Development Goals

AbstractThe paper summarizes four presentations of the session “Environment and Wellbeing: The Role of Ecosystems for Sustainable Development” at the international conference “Sustainability in the Water- Energy-Food Nexus” held on 19-20th May 2014 in Bonn, Germany. The aim of the session was to present current stresses on ecosystem services imposed by global development trajectory, potential impacts on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and pathways to achieve SDGs. All four presentations agreed that global ecosystem services are under increasing pressure from degradation and may not be able to meet the growing Water-Energy- Food (WEF) demands especially for the developing world. Three examples from Tanzania, Cambodia and Niger made attempt to understand how governance policies attributed to natural resource depletion such as forestry and common grazing. The examples showed that governance policies favoring economic development are heavily contributing to clearing up natural resource bases. As a result, there were increasing conflicts among different resource user groups. Two other presentations introduce conceptual pathways to achieve the targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under current resource stressed regime. The pathways suggested global technologies, decentralized solutions and consumption changes as the major means of achieving global sustainability and poverty eradication without any major trade-offs.

scholarly journals Industrial innovation and infrastructure as drivers of change in the Canadian boreal zone1

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan L. Musetta-Lambert ◽  
Eric M. Enanga ◽  
Sonja Teichert ◽  
Irena F. Creed ◽  
Karen A. Kidd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Process Management ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Boreal Zone ◽  
Drivers Of Change ◽  
Industrial Innovation ◽  
Natural Resource Extraction ◽  
Human Footprint ◽  
The Future

Much of Canada’s industrial sector is driven by natural resources and relies heavily on provisioning services supplied by the boreal zone. However, the sometimes intensive processes used by resource-based industries and their associated infrastructure have significantly altered the region, creating concerns over the future socio-ecological health of the boreal zone. Addressing these concerns will require industries reliant on natural resources from the boreal zone to innovate their processes, management, and infrastructure to improve extraction efficiency while contributing to society’s increasing expectations related to sustainability. Here, we explore past, current, and future trends in industrial innovation and infrastructure in the boreal zone for forestry, mining, pulp and paper, oil and gas, and renewable sources of power generation. We assess the role of innovation on the future socio-ecological state of the boreal zone by considering interactions between innovation in industry and infrastructure and other key drivers of change in the boreal, such as atmospheric changes, changing demands for nonprovisioning and provisioning ecosystem services, governance, and demographics and social values. We present future scenarios highlighting three divergent trajectories of change in boreal ecosystems based on past and current states of innovation in industry and infrastructure. We suggest that minimizing impacts of natural resource extraction activities in the boreal zone will only be possible through innovation directly focused on reducing the human footprint on the landscape. Innovation in the information technology sector related to process, management, and end products within these industries and placing greater emphasis on cross-sectoral collaboration will be key to achieving this goal.

Impacts and prognosis of natural resource development on aquatic biodiversity in Canada’s boreal zone

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 227-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Kreutzweiser ◽  
Frederick Beall ◽  
Kara Webster ◽  
Dean Thompson ◽  
Irena Creed
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Multiple Stressors ◽  
Resource Development ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Cumulative Effects ◽  
Boreal Zone ◽  
Aquatic Biodiversity ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents ◽  
Natural Resource Development

Conservation efforts to sustain water resources and aquatic biodiversity in boreal watersheds will require reliable information on the recent status of various indicator species and an improved understanding of the risks to aquatic biodiversity posed by resource development activities. We reviewed the recent state of knowledge on the responses of aquatic biodiversity to forest management, pulp and paper mill effluents, hydroelectric impoundments, mining of minerals and metals, oil sands extractions, and peat mining and offer a prognosis for aquatic biodiversity under each of these environmental stressors. Despite the prevalence of natural resource development in Canada’s largest forest ecosystem, there was a limited amount of published literature on the effects of many of the disturbance types on various indicators of aquatic biodiversity, making it difficult to produce a current and reliable status assessment. Across most of the boreal zone, there is a lack of coordinated, consistent data collection for many of the bioindicators and disturbance types discussed in this review. Forecasting the future state of aquatic biodiversity across the boreal zone is challenged by increasing natural resource development and its interactions with other stressors, especially climate change. The cumulative effects of multiple stressors coupled with resource development activities in boreal watersheds remain largely unknown. More importantly, the ecological thresholds for these cumulative effects (that is, the point at which aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity cannot recover to a desired state within a reasonable time frame) are also unknown and remain gaps in our knowledge. The recent literature identifies a number of risks to aquatic biodiversity at local (tens of square kilometres) to regional (hundreds of square kilometres) scales associated with natural resource development. There are indications that many of these risks can be minimized by “greener” technologies for resource development and reclamation, practical conservation planning and regulation, and increased stewardship in watershed management, although the effectiveness of many of these measures cannot yet be assessed from the published literature.

scholarly journals Ecosystem services for meeting sustainable development goals: Challenges and pathways

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazmul Huq
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Development Trajectory ◽  
Current Resource ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Development Goals

AbstractThe paper summarizes four presentations of the session “Environment and Wellbeing: The Role of Ecosystems for Sustainable Development” at the international conference “Sustainability in the Water- Energy-Food Nexus” held on 19-20th May 2014 in Bonn, Germany. The aim of the session was to present current stresses on ecosystem services imposed by global development trajectory, potential impacts on future Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and pathways to achieve SDGs. All four presentations agreed that global ecosystem services are under increasing pressure from degradation and may not be able to meet the growing Water-Energy-Food (WEF) demands especially for the developing world. Three examples from Tanzania, Cambodia and Niger made attempt to understand how government policies attributed to natural resource depletion such as forestry and common grazing. The examples showed that institutional policies favoring economic development contributing heavily to clearing up natural resource bases. As a result, there were increasing conflicts among different resource user groups. Two other presentations introduce conceptual pathways to achieve the targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under current resource stressed regime. The pathways suggested global technologies, decentralized solutions and consumption changes as the major means of achieving global sustainability and poverty eradication without any major trade-offs.

scholarly journals Assessment of the relationships between agroecosystem condition and the ecosystem service soil erosion regulation in Northern Germany

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0234288
Author(s):  
Paula Rendon ◽  
Bastian Steinhoff-Knopp ◽  
Philipp Saggau ◽  
Benjamin Burkhard
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Ecosystem Condition

Ecosystems provide multiple services that are necessary to maintain human life. Agroecosystems are very productive suppliers of biomass-related provisioning ecosystem services, e.g. food, fibre, and energy. At the same time, they are highly dependent on good ecosystem condition and regulating ecosystem services such as soil fertility, water supply or soil erosion regulation. Assessments of this interplay of ecosystem condition and services are needed to understand the relationships in highly managed systems. Therefore, the aim of this study is twofold: First, to test the concept and indicators proposed by the European Union Working Group on Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) for assessing agroecosystem condition at a regional level. Second, to identify the relationships between ecosystem condition and the delivery of ecosystem services. For this purpose, we applied an operational framework for integrated mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services. We used the proposed indicators to assess the condition of agroecosystems in Northern Germany and regulating ecosystem service control of erosion rates. We used existing data from official databases to calculate the different indicators and created maps of environmental pressures, ecosystem condition and ecosystem service indicators for the Federal State of Lower Saxony. Furthermore, we identified areas within the state where pressures are high, conditions are unfavourable, and more sustainable management practices are needed. Despite the limitations of the indicators and data availability, our results show positive, negative, and no significant correlations between the different pressures and condition indicators, and the control of erosion rates. The idea behind the MAES framework is to indicate the general condition of an ecosystem. However, we observed that not all proposed indicators can explain to what extent ecosystems can provide specific ecosystem services. Further research on other ecosystem services provided by agroecosystems would help to identify synergies and trade-offs. Moreover, the definition of a reference condition, although complicated for anthropogenically highly modified agroecosystems, would provide a benchmark to compare information on the condition of the ecosystems, leading to better land use policy and management decisions.

scholarly journals Distinct positions underpin ecosystem services for poverty alleviation

Oryx ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Howe ◽  
Esteve Corbera ◽  
Bhaskar Vira ◽  
Daniel Brockington ◽  
William M. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Policy Initiatives ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Ecosystem Condition

AbstractAs the concept of ecosystem services is applied more widely in conservation, its users will encounter the issue of poverty alleviation. Policy initiatives involving ecosystem services are often marked by their use of win-win narratives that conceal the trade-offs they must entail. Modelling this paper on an earlier essay about conservation and poverty, we explore the different views that underlie apparent agreement. We identify five positions that reflect different mixes of concern for ecosystem condition, poverty and economic growth, and we suggest that acknowledging these helps to uncover the subjacent goals of policy interventions and the trade-offs they involve in practice. Recognizing their existence and foundations can ultimately support the emergence of more legitimate and robust policies.

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