Elasticity in ecosystem services: exploring the variable relationship between ecosystems and human well-being

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Although ecosystem services are increasingly recognized as benefits people obtain from nature, we still have a poor understanding of how they actually enhance multidimensional human well-being, and how well-being is affected by ecosystem change. We develop a concept of "ecosystem service elasticity" (ES elasticity) that describes the sensitivity of human well-being to changes in ecosystems. ES Elasticity is a result of complex social and ecological dynamics and is context dependent, individually variable, and likely to demonstrate nonlinear dynamics such as thresholds and hysteresis. We present a conceptual framework that unpacks the chain of causality from ecosystem stocks through flows, goods, value, and shares to contribute to the well-being of different people. This framework builds on previous conceptualizations, but places multidimensional well-being of different people as the final element. This ultimately disaggregated approach emphasizes how different people access benefits and how benefits match their needs or aspirations.Applying this framework to case studies of individual coastal ecosystem services in East Africa illustrates a wide range of social and ecological factors that can affect ES elasticity. For example, food web and habitat dynamics affect the sensitivity of different fisheries ecosystem services to ecological change. Meanwhile high cultural significance, or lack of alternatives enhance ES elasticity, while social mechanisms that prevent access can reduce elasticity.Mapping out how chains are interlinked illustrates how different types of value and the well-being of different people are linked to each other and to common ecological stocks. We suggest that examining chains for individual ecosystem services can suggest potential interventions aimed at poverty alleviation and sustainable ecosystems while mapping out of interlinkages between chains can help to identify possible ecosystem service trade-offs and winners and losers. We discuss conceptual and practical challenges of applying such a framework and conclude on its utility as a heuristic for structuring interdisciplinary analysis of ecosystem services and human wellbeing.

Social-Ecological Dynamics of Ecosystem Services: Livelihoods and the Functional Relation between Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand—Evidence from Socotra Archipelago, Yemen and the Sahel Region, West Africa

“…As a result it is important to focus ES analysis on ES bundles (i.e., sets of ecosystem services that repeatedly appear together across space and time [58]), rather than on isolated ES as well as to expand ES analysis to livelihood analysis including all compensation strategies. These results are in line with another study [31], that argues that the relationships between ES and human well-being are complex interrelations between nature and society. Our article particularly highlights the functional relation between ES supply and demand.…”

“…In addition, temporal dynamics, such as historic and future land use change, can also influence ES supply and demand [13]. Finally, a recent study [31] on marine and coastal ES explores the social and ecological dynamics of ES, called ecosystem service elasticity. The authors present a conceptual framework that unpacks the chain of causality from ecosystem stocks through flows, goods, value, and shares to contribute to the well-being of different people.…”

Optimization of expenditures on environmental actions in Ukraine

“…Significant contribution of scientists from Germany [8,9], who analyzed the impact of thematic literature on the ecological economy as a science and practice, and found further development of research on environmental actions in a more applied and empirical direction. Studies of the interdependence between ecological systems and man, in particular, ecosystem services and the welfare of the population, are of great importance for environmental science and sustainable development of countries [10,11]. Domestic scientists make a significant contribution to solving the problem of rational nature management, including from fundamental issues of monitoring air, water, soil, waste, biodiversity, as well as state management of quality and environmental monitoring, environmental monitoring, standardization and metrological control of pollution control the environment [12].…”

“…1. Expenditures on the protection and rational use of natural resources in the direction of environmental expenditures in 2014, in percent, calculated according to the data [7,9,10] …”

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

“…Daw et al (2016) use the concept of "ecosystem service elasticity" to develop a framework that describes the sensitivity of human well-being to changes in ecosystem services. The framework places multidimensional well-being of different people as the final element, and emphasizes how different people access ecosystem service benefits and how these benefits match their needs or aspirations.…”