Assessing the sensitivity of ecosystem services to changing pressures

Tara Hooper, Nicola Beaumont, Charly Griffiths, Olivia Langmead and Paul J. Somerfield

Ecosystem Services, 2017, vol. 24, issue C, 160-169

Abstract: The ecosystem services approach is widely recognised as a concept, but more attention must be given to the development of tools to facilitate practical implementation if the approach is to become more widely used to support decision-making. A key component of natural resource management is understanding the implications of changing levels of pressures on ecosystem components, which is achieved through sensitivity assessment. This paper examines how sensitivity assessment could be applied to ecosystem services, as opposed to the underlying habitats and species, by considering the relationship between the sensitivity of a service to the sensitivity of the habitat responsible for its supply. The method is illustrated using a UK case study of supporting and regulating services provided by subtidal sedimentary habitats within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in North Devon.

Keywords: Ecosystem services; Sensitivity assessment; Subtidal sedimentary habitats (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoser:v:24:y:2017:i:c:p:160-169

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2017.02.016

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