What evidence exists on how changes in marine ecosystem structure and functioning affect ecosystem services delivery? A systematic map protocol

Abstract

Background The current biodiversity crisis calls for an urgent need to sustainably manage human uses of nature. The Ecosystem Services (ES) concept defined as « the benefits humans obtain from nature » support decisions aimed at promoting nature conservation. However, marine ecosystems, in particular, endure numerous direct pressures (e.g., habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation, pollution, climate change, and the introduction of non-indigenous species) all of which threaten ecosystem structure, functioning, and the very provision of ES. While marine ecosystems often receive less attention than terrestrial ecosystems in ES literature, it would also appear that there is a heterogeneity of knowledge within marine ecosystems and within the different ES provided. Hence, a systematic map on the existing literature will aim to highlight knowledge clusters and knowledge gaps on how changes in marine ecosystems influence the provision of marine ecosystem services. This will provide an evidence base for possible future reviews, and may help to inform eventual management and policy decision-making. Methods We will search for all evidence documenting how changes in structure and functioning of marine ecosystems affect the delivery of ES, across scientific and grey literature sources. Two bibliographic databases, Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection, will be used with a supplementary search undertaken in Google scholar. Multiple organisational websites related to intergovernmental agencies, supra-national or national structures, and NGOs will also be searched. Searches will be performed with English terms only without any geographic or temporal limitations. Literature screening, against predefined inclusion criteria, will be undertaken on title, abstract, and then full texts. All qualifying literature will be subjected to coding and meta-data extraction. No formal validity appraisal will be undertaken. Indeed, the map will highlight how marine ecosystem changes impact the ES provided. Knowledge gaps will be identified in terms of which ecosystem types, biodiversity components, or ES types are most or least studied and how these categories are correlated. Finally, a database will be provided, we will narratively describe this evidence base with summary figures and tables of pertinent study characteristics.

An ecosystem-based natural capital evaluation framework that combines environmental and socio-economic implications of offshore renewable energy developments

“…However, both tools assume that the connections between ecosystems and human well-being are 'static' . This assumption might not be true, as ecosystems are known to sometimes undergo relatively fast structural changes that have a major effect on the ecosystem dynamics (Möllmann et al 2008), which threatens the provision of ecosystem services and can impact human well-being in a negative way (Campagne et al 2021). On the contrary, our proposed framework provides a dynamic assessment of the ecosystem components (e.g.…”

Setting the scene for a multi-map toolset supporting maritime spatial planning by mapping relative cumulative impacts on ecosystem service supply

“…Ecosystem services and the ecosystem services cascade model offers an approach to study social-ecological systems in the form of complex and continuously changing interactions between people and the natural environment and facilitate communication between science and policy (Campagne et al, 2021). Ecosystem services are "the final output from ecosystems that are directly consumed, used (actively or passively), or enjoyed by people" (Culhane et al, 2020).…”

“…Ecosystem services are "the final output from ecosystems that are directly consumed, used (actively or passively), or enjoyed by people" (Culhane et al, 2020). Marine ecosystems provide a wide range of services, all of which play an important role in supporting human well-being, but they are also under high levels of pressure generated by human activities due to demands for services such as fish for food, which is threatening the sustainability of ecosystem service supply (Campagne et al, 2021). The ecosystem services cascade connects drivers of changehuman activities and the pressures they produce to ecosystem components and the ecosystem functions they perform, as well as the services and benefits the ecosystem supplies (Potschin-Young et al, 2018).…”

Existing evidence on the impact of changes in marine ecosystem structure and functioning on ecosystem service delivery: a systematic map

“…A systematic map offers the advantage of structuring existing knowledge to produce results that are useful for decision-making. Following the protocol in Campagne et al [41], we carried out a systematic evidence mapping exercise to highlight the knowledge clusters and knowledge gaps on how changes in the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems affect the provision of marine ES.…”