Changes in biodiversity and trade-offs among ecosystem services, stakeholders, and components of well-being: the contribution of the International Long-Term Ecological Research network (ILTER) to Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) network comprises > 600 scientific groups conducting sitebased research within 40 countries. Its mission includes improving the understanding of global ecosystems and informs solutions to current and future environmental problems at the global scales. The ILTER network covers a wide range of social-ecological conditions and is aligned with the Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS) goals and approach. Our aim is to examine and develop the conceptual basis for proposed collaboration between ILTER and PECS. We describe how a coordinated effort of several contrasting LTER site-based research groups contributes to the understanding of how policies and technologies drive either toward or away from the sustainable delivery of ecosystem services. This effort is based on three tenets: transdisciplinary research; cross-scale interactions and subsequent dynamics; and an ecological stewardship orientation. The overarching goal is to design management practices taking into account trade-offs between using and conserving ecosystems toward more sustainable solutions. To that end, we propose a conceptual approach linking ecosystem integrity, ecosystem services, and stakeholder well-being, and as a way to analyze trade-offs among ecosystem services inherent in diverse management options. We also outline our methodological approach that includes: (i) monitoring and synthesis activities following spatial and temporal trends and changes on each site and by documenting cross-scale interactions; (ii) developing analytical tools for integration; (iii) promoting trans-site comparison; and (iv) developing conceptual tools to design adequate policies and management interventions to deal with trade-offs. Finally, we highlight the heterogeneity in the socialecological setting encountered in a subset of 15 ILTER sites. These study cases are diverse enough to provide a broad cross-section of contrasting ecosystems with different policy and management drivers of ecosystem conversion; distinct trends of biodiversity change; different stakeholders' preferences for ecosystem services; and diverse components of well-being issues.

Interdisciplinarité et représentation de la complexité des systèmes socio-écologiques : recherches sur la zone atelier Armorique

“…Il est intégré dans le réseau européen et international des sites de recherche à long terme en écologie 4 . Parmi ces réseaux internationaux traitant d'environnement, le fait d'être basé sur un site commun est une spécificité des sites de recherche à long terme en écologie (Maass et al, 2016). Sans entrer dans le détail de l'histoire, il faut dire que les zones atelier sont le produit du réseau LTER des États-Unis et d'une tradition de recherche interdisciplinaire alliant sciences de la nature et sciences sociales en France (Jollivet, 1992).…”

Integrating Food-Water-Energy Research through a Socio-Ecosystem Approach

“…On these grounds, an "Integrative Science for Society and the Environment" research initiative has been proposed to elevate LTER science to a new level of integration, collaboration, and synthesis necessary for addressing current and emerging environmental research challenges (Collins et al, 2011). This approach has also been the response of some of the ILTER network groups to deal with this endeavor (Maass et al, 2016).…”

Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society: Knowledge for sustainable stewardship of social-ecological systems

“…In particular, the International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) that has increasingly begun to expand its research activities beyond conservation areas and adopt a place-based long-term socio-ecological research approach. Maass et al (2016) focus on a subset of 15 ILTER sites that provide a broad cross-section of contrasting social-ecological systems with different policy and management settings, distinct trends of biodiversity change, different stakeholders' preferences for ecosystem services and diverse components of well-being issues. The authors propose a conceptual approach linking ecosystem integrity, ecosystem services, and stakeholder wellbeing that could also analyze trade-offs among ecosystem services inherent in diverse management options.…”

“…For example, Balvanera et al (2016) surveyed the leaders of 25 PECS affiliated projects (spanning 42 social-ecological study cases across 25 countries) to identify the key features that contribute towards successful research design and implementation of place-based social-ecological sustainability research (PBSESR). The study confirms a number of earlier findings on the particular opportunities such as the importance of focusing on solution and transformation-oriented research, adapting the research questions to the local social-ecological context, and having frequent engagement with stakeholders and partners.…”