Natural capital and environmental flows assessment in marine protected areas: The case study of Liguria region (NW Mediterranean Sea)

C. Paoli, P. Povero, E. Burgos, G. Dapueto, G. Fanciulli, F. Massa, P. Scarpellini and P. Vassallo

Ecological Modelling, 2018, vol. 368, issue C, 121-135

Abstract: A methodology based on emergy analysis for the calculation of the biophysical value of the stocked biomass (natural capital) was applied to the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) of Portofino (PF) and Cinque Terre (CT). The resources exploited, on a yearly base, to maintain the natural capital itself alive (environmental flows) were accounted too. Emergy analysis is an accounting method useful to identify and convert in a single unit of measure all resources feeding a system. This allows the implementation of a system overall assessment and then the conversion of the obtained value in money terms. The studied MPAs are located in the northwestern part of Italy, are both tourism oriented and subdivided in zones with different protection degree. The habitats occupying both the MPAs bottoms have been identified together with the biomass stored on their surface, identifying units named FBHA (fishes and benthos habitat assemblage). The calculation of biomass stocked in the benthic organisms and in the fishes associated to each FBHA represents the basis for the assessment of MPA natural capital value and of environmental flows. From these values, the trophic network of each habitat was modeled allowing calculating the inputs to emergy analysis.

Keywords: Trophic network; Emergy; MPA balance; MPA management; Portofino; Cinque Terre; Natural capital (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:368:y:2018:i:c:p:121-135

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.10.014

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