Exploring the convergence of natural flows for the generation of natural capital stocks in marine ecosystems

IF 3.1 3区 环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY
Elvira Buonocore , Maria Cristina Buia , Giovanni F. Russo , Pier Paolo Franzese
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引用次数: 6

Abstract

Marine ecosystems are open, complex, adaptive, and hierarchical systems highly integrated through the exchange of matter and energy flows. This flows exchange allows marine ecosystems to operate at different scales acting as dissipative structures, building natural capital stocks capable of generating several ecosystem services vital for human well-being. Humans derive a wide range of goods and services from marine ecosystems while, at the same time, generate several impacts causing biodiversity loss and seriously affecting their capacity to provide benefits to humans. Effective management strategies are crucial to conserve healthy and diverse marine and coastal ecosystems, maintain the valuable functions and services they provide, and allow for sustainable human activities. In recent years, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been increasingly acknowledged worldwide as important tools to conserve biodiversity and achieve human well-being and sustainable development goals. Assessing the value of natural capital and ecosystem services is crucial to raise awareness on their importance, support conservation strategies, and ensure the sustainable management of marine ecosystems. This study aimed at calculating biomass and emergy-based indicators to assess the value of natural capital stocks in a Mediterranean MPA. The assessment was performed through a biophysical and trophodynamic environmental accounting model fed with field biomass data collected through ad hoc sampling campaigns performed in the MPA. Four main macro-habitats were investigated: sciaphilic hard bottom (coralligenous bioconstructions), photophilic hard bottom, soft bottom, and Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds. The biomass density of the main autotrophic and heterotrophic taxonomic groups identified in the four macro-habitats of the MPA was evaluated. Based on this biomass matrix, the emergy value of natural capital stocks was assessed. The Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds habitat showed the highest biophysical value (2.32·1019 sej) at MPA scale, while coralligenous bioconstructions resulted the habitat with the highest biophysical value per unit area (2.72·1012 sej m−2). In addition, to complement the biophysical assessment with an economic perspective, the emergy-based indicators were converted into monetary units. The total value of natural capital of the whole MPA resulted in about 46 M€. The results of this study can support local managers and policy makers in the development of management strategies to ensure nature conservation and sustainable human activities. They can be also used as a benchmark for the assessment of natural capital value at larger scales in support of a proper consideration and inclusion of nature value into processes of policy making.

探索在海洋生态系统中产生自然资本存量的自然流量的汇合
海洋生态系统是开放的、复杂的、自适应的分层系统,通过物质和能量流的交换高度整合。这种流动交换使海洋生态系统能够在不同规模上发挥耗散结构的作用,建立能够产生对人类福祉至关重要的几种生态系统服务的自然资本存量。人类从海洋生态系统获得广泛的商品和服务,同时产生若干影响,造成生物多样性丧失,并严重影响其为人类提供惠益的能力。有效的管理战略对于保护健康和多样化的海洋和沿海生态系统,维持其提供的宝贵功能和服务,并允许可持续的人类活动至关重要。近年来,海洋保护区(MPAs)作为保护生物多样性、实现人类福祉和可持续发展目标的重要工具日益得到世界各国的认可。评估自然资本和生态系统服务的价值对于提高对其重要性的认识、支持保护战略和确保海洋生态系统的可持续管理至关重要。本研究旨在计算生物量和能值指标,以评估地中海海洋保护区自然资本存量的价值。评估是通过生物物理和营养动力学环境核算模型进行的,该模型采用了在MPA进行的临时采样活动中收集的野外生物量数据。研究了4种主要的宏观生境:亲水硬底、亲光硬底、软底和大洋Posidonia oceanica海草床。对海洋保护区4种大型生境中自养和异养主要类群的生物量密度进行了评价。在此基础上,对自然资本存量的能值进行了评价。海洋Posidonia oceanica海草床生境在MPA尺度上的生物物理值最高(2.32·1019 sej),而珊瑚生物构筑的生境单位面积生物物理值最高(2.72·1012 sej m−2)。此外,为了从经济角度补充生物物理评估,将基于能值的指标转换为货币单位。整个保护区的自然资本总值约为4600万欧元。研究结果可为地方管理者和决策者制定管理策略提供支持,以确保自然保护和可持续的人类活动。它们还可以作为在更大范围内评估自然资本价值的基准,以支持在决策过程中适当考虑和纳入自然价值。
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来源期刊
Ecological Complexity
Ecological Complexity 环境科学-生态学
CiteScore
7.10
自引率
0.00%
发文量
24
审稿时长
3 months
期刊介绍: Ecological Complexity is an international journal devoted to the publication of high quality, peer-reviewed articles on all aspects of biocomplexity in the environment, theoretical ecology, and special issues on topics of current interest. The scope of the journal is wide and interdisciplinary with an integrated and quantitative approach. The journal particularly encourages submission of papers that integrate natural and social processes at appropriately broad spatio-temporal scales. Ecological Complexity will publish research into the following areas: • All aspects of biocomplexity in the environment and theoretical ecology • Ecosystems and biospheres as complex adaptive systems • Self-organization of spatially extended ecosystems • Emergent properties and structures of complex ecosystems • Ecological pattern formation in space and time • The role of biophysical constraints and evolutionary attractors on species assemblages • Ecological scaling (scale invariance, scale covariance and across scale dynamics), allometry, and hierarchy theory • Ecological topology and networks • Studies towards an ecology of complex systems • Complex systems approaches for the study of dynamic human-environment interactions • Using knowledge of nonlinear phenomena to better guide policy development for adaptation strategies and mitigation to environmental change • New tools and methods for studying ecological complexity
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