TY - JOUR
T1 - Establishing the links between marine ecosystem components, functions and services
T2 - An ecosystem service assessment tool
AU - Armoškaitė, Aurelija
AU - Puriņa, Ingrīda
AU - Aigars, Juris
AU - Strāķe, Solvita
AU - Pakalniete, Kristīne
AU - Frederiksen, Pia
AU - Schrøder, Lise
AU - Hansen, Henning Sten
PY - 2020/8/1
Y1 - 2020/8/1
N2 - Although the concept of ecosystem services has been in use for many decades, its application for policy support is limited, particularly with respect to marine ecosystems. Gaps in the assessments of ecosystem services supply prevent its empirical application. We advance these assessments by providing an assessment tool, which links marine ecosystem components, functions and services, and graphically represents the assessment process and its results. The tool consists of two parts: (i) a matrix following the ecosystem services cascade structure for quantifying the contribution of ecosystem components in the provision of ecosystem services; (ii) and a linkage diagram for visualising the interactions between the elements. With the aid of the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES), the tool was used to assess the relative contribution of a wide range of marine ecosystem components in the supply of ecosystem services in the Latvian marine waters. Results indicate that the tool can be used to assess the impacts of environmental degradation in terms of ecosystem service supply. These impacts could further be valued in socioeconomic terms, as change in the socioeconomic values derived from the use of ecosystem services. The tool provides an opportunity for conducting a holistic assessment of the ecosystem service supply and communicating the results to marine spatial planning practitioners, and increasing their understanding and use of the ecosystem service concept.
AB - Although the concept of ecosystem services has been in use for many decades, its application for policy support is limited, particularly with respect to marine ecosystems. Gaps in the assessments of ecosystem services supply prevent its empirical application. We advance these assessments by providing an assessment tool, which links marine ecosystem components, functions and services, and graphically represents the assessment process and its results. The tool consists of two parts: (i) a matrix following the ecosystem services cascade structure for quantifying the contribution of ecosystem components in the provision of ecosystem services; (ii) and a linkage diagram for visualising the interactions between the elements. With the aid of the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES), the tool was used to assess the relative contribution of a wide range of marine ecosystem components in the supply of ecosystem services in the Latvian marine waters. Results indicate that the tool can be used to assess the impacts of environmental degradation in terms of ecosystem service supply. These impacts could further be valued in socioeconomic terms, as change in the socioeconomic values derived from the use of ecosystem services. The tool provides an opportunity for conducting a holistic assessment of the ecosystem service supply and communicating the results to marine spatial planning practitioners, and increasing their understanding and use of the ecosystem service concept.
KW - Assessment tool
KW - Baltic sea
KW - Ecosystem services
KW - Linkage diagram
KW - Marine habitats
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085739800&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105229
DO - 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105229
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85085739800
SN - 0964-5691
VL - 193
JO - Ocean and Coastal Management
JF - Ocean and Coastal Management
M1 - 105229
ER -