Publications (FIS)

Coupling stakeholder assessments of ecosystem services with biophysical ecosystem properties reveals importance of social contexts.

authored by: Miguel Angel Cebrian-Piqueras, Leena Karrasch, Michael Kleyer
Abstract: We asked whether different stakeholders perceive ecosystem services in similar ways and how these perceptions relate to measured ecosystem properties. Farmers and conservationists were asked to state (1) their preference for ecosystem services and (2) their perception about the value of several grassland vegetation units in providing these services. Additionally, biophysical parameters were collected on 46 plots. Structural equation models were applied to test which stakeholder perceptions corresponded to the data. For conservationists, the services regional belonging and soil fertility were related to conservation value, whereas farmers associated them with forage production. Conservationists’ perception of forage production was related to biomass removal, groundwater level and income from forage production, whereas farmers focused on the potential of ecosystems to produce forage, rather than the actual land use. The conservation perception of farmers was related to low land use intensity, whereas the conservationists associated it with endangered meadow birds. Conservationists associated carbon sequestration with below-ground peat formation, but farmers with above-ground plant productivity. We conclude that perceptions of ecosystem services are strongly influenced by social contexts, involving livelihoods, interests and traditions. Use of stakeholder assessments to establish sustainable land management should consider the fact that stakeholders interpret ecosystem services with different meanings.
Organisation(s): Institute of Environmental Planning
External Organisation(s): Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
Type: Article
Journal: Ecosystem Services
Volume: 23
Pages: 108-115
No. of pages: 8
ISSN: 2212-0416
Publication date: 2017
Publication status: Published
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Global and Planetary Change, Geography, Planning and Development, Ecology, Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous), Nature and Landscape Conservation, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 15 - Life on Land
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2016.11.009 (Access: Closed)

BibTeX

@article{b003b0c55584430bad0bbf5f9bd23789,
title = "Coupling stakeholder assessments of ecosystem services with biophysical ecosystem properties reveals importance of social contexts.",
abstract = "We asked whether different stakeholders perceive ecosystem services in similar ways and how these perceptions relate to measured ecosystem properties. Farmers and conservationists were asked to state (1) their preference for ecosystem services and (2) their perception about the value of several grassland vegetation units in providing these services. Additionally, biophysical parameters were collected on 46 plots. Structural equation models were applied to test which stakeholder perceptions corresponded to the data. For conservationists, the services regional belonging and soil fertility were related to conservation value, whereas farmers associated them with forage production. Conservationists{\textquoteright} perception of forage production was related to biomass removal, groundwater level and income from forage production, whereas farmers focused on the potential of ecosystems to produce forage, rather than the actual land use. The conservation perception of farmers was related to low land use intensity, whereas the conservationists associated it with endangered meadow birds. Conservationists associated carbon sequestration with below-ground peat formation, but farmers with above-ground plant productivity. We conclude that perceptions of ecosystem services are strongly influenced by social contexts, involving livelihoods, interests and traditions. Use of stakeholder assessments to establish sustainable land management should consider the fact that stakeholders interpret ecosystem services with different meanings.",
keywords = "Carbon sequestration, Ecosystem properties, Forage production, Nature conservation, Stakeholder perceptions, Structural equation model",
author = "Cebrian-Piqueras, {Miguel Angel} and Leena Karrasch and Michael Kleyer",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 Elsevier B.V.",
year = "2017",
doi = "10.1016/j.ecoser.2016.11.009",
language = "English",
volume = "23",
pages = "108--115",
journal = "Ecosystem Services",
issn = "2212-0416",
publisher = "Elsevier BV",
}