Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Changing The Way We View Humanity And The Rest Of Nature, Robert Costanza

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the idea of ecosystem services, how ecosystem aided to solve the mother of all problems and how ecosystem services offer real solutions to problems.

A Global Partnership For Ecosystem Services, Dolf De Groot, Robert Costanza, Dieter Van Den Broeck, James Aronson

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The article offers information on the participation of the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve in the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) in South Africa. It mentions that an active group of scientists has been working with the local and ESP to restore the Mega Reserve using the ecosystem services. The group combines a learning village to raise awareness of the project and a tree nursery that specializes in indigenous species.

Indigenous Australians Fight Climate Change With Fire, Scott Heckbert, Jeremy Russell-Smith, Andrew Reeson, Glenn James

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The article focuses on the move of Indigenous people in Australia to implement fire management in an effort to improve landscape condition and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It highlights the launch of the West Arnhem Land Fire Abatement (WALFA) project, a prime example of scientists, governments, Indigenous land managers, and carbon markets connecting to offer innovative solutions to resource management and economic development. It also highlights ecosystem services in the region.

Dr7a: Changes In Ecosystem Services And Migration In Low-Lying Coastal Areas Over The Next 50 Years, Robert Costanza, Ida Kubiszewski, Joe Roman, Paul Sutton

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This paper examines the history and current status of ecosystem services in low-lying coastal areas (LLCAs), their potential changes because of wider environmental and social shifts, and the potential impacts of these changes on human migration. We synthesised information from a number of sources on the status and value of ecosystem services in LLCAs, including information about key ecosystems that are likely to be particularly vulnerable to environmental change. We created maps of ecosystem and human population changes in LLCAs and then estimated changes in ecosystem services. Estimating the impacts of these potential changes depends on the future scenario one …

Valuing Ecological Systems And Services, Robert Costanza, Ida Kubiszewski, David E. Ervin, Randall Bluffstone, Darrell Brown, Heejun Chang, Veronica Dujon, Elise F. Granek, Stephen Polasky, Vivek Shandas, J. Alan Yeakley, James Boyd

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

Making trade-offs between ecological services and other contributors to human well-being is a difficult but critical process that requires valuation. This allows both better recognition of the ecological, social, and economic trade-offs and also allows us to bill those who use up or destroy ecological services and reward those that produce or enhance them. It also aids improved ecosystems policy. In this paper we clarify some of the controversies in defining the contributions to human well-being from functioning ecosystems, many of which people are not even aware of.We go on to describe the applicability of the various valuation methods that …

Interview With Robert Costanza, Institute For Sustainable Solutions, 2011 (Audio), Robert Costanza

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Dr. Robert Costanza by Noah Sharpsteen at Portland State University on February 22nd, 2011.

The interview index is available for download.

Scientific Instruments For Climate Change Adaptation: Estimating And Optimizing The Efficiency Of Ecosystem Service Provision, Ferdinando Villa, Ken Bagstad, Gary Johnson, Brian Voigt

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Adaptation to the consequences of climate change can depend on efficient use of ecosystem services (ES), i.e. a better use of natural services through management of the way in which they are delivered to society. While much discussion focuses on reducing consumption and increasing production of services, a lack of scientific instruments has so far prevented other mechanisms to improve ecosystem services efficiency from being addressed systematically as an adaptation strategy. This paper describes new methodologies for assessing ecosystem services and quantifying their values to humans, highlighting the role of ecosystem service flow analysis in optimizing the efficiency of ES …