Human societies are reliant on the functioning of the hydrologic cycle. The atmospheric branch of this cycle, often referred to as moisture recycling in the context of land-to-land exchange, refers to water evaporating, traveling through the atmosphere, and falling out as precipitation. Similar to the surface water cycle that uses the watershed as the unit of analysis, it is also possible to consider a ‘watershed of the sky’ for the atmospheric water cycle. Thus, I explore the precipitationshed - defined as the upwind surface of the Earth that provides evaporation that later falls as precipitation in a specific place. The primary contributions of this dissertation are to (a) introduce the precipitationshed concept, (b) provide a quantitative basis for the study of the precipitationshed, and (c) demonstrate its use in the fields of hydrometeorology, land-use change, social-ecological systems, ecosystem services, and environmental governance. In Paper I, the concept of the precipitationshed is introduced and explored for the first time. The quantification of precipitationshed variability is described in Paper II, and the key finding is that the precipitationsheds for multiple regions are persistent in time and space. Moisture recycling is further described as an ecosystem service in Paper III, to integrate the concept into the existing language of environmental sustainability and management. That is, I identify regions where vegetation more strongly regulates the provision of atmospheric water, as well as the regions that more strongly benefit from this regulation. In Paper IV, the precipitationshed is further explored through the lens of urban reliance on moisture recycling. Using a novel method, I quantify the vulnerability of urban areas to social-ecological changes within their precipitationsheds. In Paper V, I argue that successful moisture recycling governance will require flexible, transboundary institutions that are capable of operating within complex social-ecological systems. I conclude that, in the future, the precipitationshed can be a key tool in addressing the complexity of social-ecological systems. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p><p> </p>

This thesis utilizes a theoretical framework which links biophysical and social domains of ecosystems via ecosystem services (ES), in order to conduct a socio-ecological assessment of urban watersheds in three communities in Chilean and Argentine regions of southern Patagonia. Results from this study show that expanding urban areas may be undermining the ability of local watersheds to provide for high quality ES posing potential risks to community wellbeing. Secondly, researchers and decision makers influencing regional natural resource management share similar values to general community members but do not capture the diversity of values that exist within the broader community, and dialogue between these groups on management issues is poor. A community-based management structure is recommended for the creation of adaptive and locally relevant management strategies.

This thesis examines the feasibility of economic incentives for reforestation, with improved water quality being one potential benefit, in the Fond D’or watershed of Saint Lucia. Population growth, economic development, and the onset of climate change have decreased the environmental quality in Small Island Developing State (SIDS) while increasing risk to the islands’ water security. The unique topography and geology of Caribbean island nations contribute to the challenges of managing freshwater resources. The governments of SIDS often lack the human and financial resources to provide potable water for their citizens, as well as to monitor and enforce environmental regulations limiting land use in watersheds. Therefore, a new approach to watershed management in Saint Lucia is imperative for the provision of valuable ecosystem services at the local, regional, and global scales. Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are a promising approach to the protection and maintenance of public ecosystem services where there is little incentive for private landowners to provide them. The first article explores household willingness-to-pay (WTP) for reforestation in Fond D’or watershed. The contingent valuation method was used to obtain residents’ WTP for a hypothetical scenario in which an increase in water users’ fees are used to fund a program where farmers in the upper watershed are compensated for taking land near water sources out of agricultural production for reforestation. The findings from 294 household surveys provide a description of the state of water quality and quantity in the Fond D’or, domestic water uses and sources, as well as attitudes and opinions about current water service. Bivariate analyses were performed to identify underlying factors that influence WTP, revealing that increased WTP is not a result of higher education and income. Rather, residence in a particular community group likely influences opinions about water, ultimately shaping WTP. Lastly, I discuss WTP in terms of its potential contribution to a PES scheme in Saint Lucia; WTP by local beneficiaries represents one potential funding source for PES mechanisms as well as public support for environmental improvement programs. The second article describes a methodological approach to constructing a PES scheme in the Fond D’or watershed. Of the five environmental policy approaches— prescription, penalties, property rights, persuasion, and payments—payment is likely to be the most feasible method to influence private land management decisions for the provision of ecosystem services for the public good. This article draws upon existing PES schemes for hydrological services around the globe to provide key lessons for expanding the use of the instrument to Saint Lucia. I apply these lessons to the social, political, and institutional context of Saint Lucia, identifying opportunities for and challenges to developing local or regional payment schemes for ecosystem services in the Fond D'or watershed. I outline the steps to constructing a PES and recommend further research to Saint Lucian policymakers.

Face aux besoins croissants pour une production agricole durable, les systems de culture évoluent vers des systèmes qui accomplissent des objectifs environnementaux et agricoles multiples. La recherche en conception de systèmes de cultures (CSC) s'intéresse à l'effet des pratiques et de l'environnement sur les systèmes de culture et leur performance. L'interaction entre production et services ecosystémiques, et la quantification de ces relations, sont un aspect clé de ce domaine de recherche. Une variété d'approches ont été théorisées, tels que l'utilisation de modèles et la mobilisation de connaissances expertes. Les modèles permettent de tester rapidement et à faible coût l'effet de pratiques agricoles dans une variété de conditions, mais l'application de conclusions théoriques à la parcelle peut être limitée par des contraintes locales ainsi que des obstacles à la communication chercheur-agriculteur. Mobiliser les agriculteurs et autres acteurs pertinents pour la CSC peut aider à surmonter ces obstacles ; cependant, cela limite l'innovation au cadre des connaissances expertes.L'objectif de cette thèse est de combiner la modélisation et des méthodes participatives pour une méthode de CSC qui exploite le potentiel de la modélisation numérique tout en s'assurant que les solutions proposées prennent en compte les contraintes environnementales et socioéconomiques. Après avoir revu l'état d'avancement de la recherche en prototypage et en CSC, nous proposons un cadre méthodologique divisé en quatre parties ; a) combiner une typologie des pratiques et un modèle conceptuel pour évaluer la diversité des pratiques, contraintes et trade-offs dans une zone de production ; b) acquérir des données de terrain pour quantifier les trade-offs pertinents entre production et services écosystémiques ; c) sélectionner et préparer un modèle numérique approprié pour simuler les effets des pratiques sur la production et l'apport de services ; et d) évaluer si l'interaction d'agriculteurs avec le modèle numérique peut générer des systèmes de culture potentiels qui répondraient aux objectifs agro-environnementaux posées (apport d'un service écosystémique) ainsi qu'être acceptables pour les agriculteurs qui les adapteraient à l'expérimentation dans leurs parcelles.The systèmes agroforestiers à base de café (cafés/arbres d'ombrage) du Costa Rica central ont étés le système de culture choisi pour répondre à ces questions. Les systèmes agroforestiers offrent de nombreuses occasions d'étudier et évaluer les services écosystémiques apportés, en plus de la production principale. L'association de deux cultures pérennes place l'évaluation de la performance à long terme et de la durabilité des systèmes au centre de la question. La culture du café au Costa Rica fait vivre une part importante de la population, et est aussi basée sur la gestion intensive d'une culture à haute valeur d'exportation, vulnérable aux fluctuations des prix sur le marché mondial ainsi qu'au changements climatiques. Des pentes raides et une saison des pluies importante créent des problèmes d'érosion significatifs ; cependant, certaines pratiques de contrôle de l'érosion (utilisation d'arbres d'ombrage et d'adventices) impactent la production de café. La réconciliation de ces deux aspects nous offrent l'occasion de tester notre cadre méthodologique dans une situation où une solide argumentation technique serait nécessaire pour encourager les expérimentations dans les parcelles. Enfin, le dernier chapitre porte une réflexion d'ensemble sur l'importance de choisir et préparer correctement un modèle agronomomique adéquat, les application potentielles de cette méthodologie, ainsi que les recommandations que nous avons pu effectuer en termes de pratiques de contrôle de l'érosion dans la zone d'étude. / In the face of increasing concerns about sustainability of agricultural production, cropping systemsare evolving towards systems that fulfill multiple agronomic and environmental objectives. Researchin cropping systems design (CSD) is concerned with studying the effect of farming practices oncropping systems and their performance. The interaction between production and ecosystemservices, and quantification of trade-offs between the two, is a key aspect of this research. A varietyof approaches have been theorized, such as use of models and mobilization of expert knowledge.Models allows fast and low-cost testing of the effect of farming practices under a variety ofconditions, but the application of theoretical outcomes to on-farm changes can be limited by localconstraints and researcher-farmer communication. Mobilizing farmers and other relevantstakeholders for CSD can help overcome these obstacles; however this limits innovation to the scopeof expert knowledge.The objective of this thesis is to combine modeling and participatory methods for a CSD frameworkthat harnesses the potential of numerical modeling while ensuring the proposed solutions take intoaccount socioeconomic and environmental constraints. After an overview of current advances inprototyping and CSD, we propose an methodological framework divided into four parts; a) combininga typology of farming practices and a conceptual model to appraise the diversity of farming practices,constraints and trade-offs at the plot scale in a defined production area; b) collection of field data forquantifying relevant trade-offs between production and ecosystem services; c) selecting andpreparing an appropriate numerical model for simulating the effects of farming practices onproduction and provision of ecosystem services; and d) evaluating whether the interaction of farmerswith a numerical model can generate candidate cropping systems that fulfill our agro-environmentalobjectives (provision of ecosystem service) as well as being suitable for the farmers who will adaptthem for on-farm experimentation.The coffee-based agroforestry systems (coffee/shade trees) of central Costa Rica were the chosenproduction system for answering these questions. Agroforestry systems offer plentiful opportunitiesfor valuing ecosystem services in addition to crop production; the combination of two perennialcrops brings long-term performance assessment and sustainability of the system to the heart of thequestion. Coffee cultivation in central Costa Rica concerns a large amount of livelihoods, but is alsobased on intensive management of a highly valued cash crop vulnerable to price fluctuations on theglobal market as well as climate change. Steep slopes and heavy rainfall also cause high levels of soilerosion; yet certain indirect erosion control practices (such as the use of shade trees of weeds) alsohave an impact on coffee production. The reconciliation of these two aspects offers the opportunityto test our methodological framework in situations where precise discussions onproduction/environment trade-offs are needed.Finally, in the last chapter we reflect on the importance of correctly choosing and preparing the rightmodel for the job, potential application of this methodology, as well as the recommendations wereable to make in terms of erosion control practices in the study area.

This thesis titled "The influence of important local entrepreneurs on changes in landscape use: case study from municipalities Zbraslavice and Bohdaneč" is focused on the evaluation of changes in the use of the countryside after 1990. The search part briefly summarizes the data for the study and evaluation methods of land use changes values of natural capital and ecosystem services. Followed by the physical-geographical characteristics of interest area. In the practical part there are applied acquired theoretical knowledge and practices, evaluating the change of land use of the municipalities Bohdaneč and Zbraslavice in the period 1838-2013 and the change of the volume of natural capital and ecosystem services at the same territory between 1990 and 2013. On the basis of the results are formulated trends that are being discussed with local knowledge, national and global levels. It is also monitored and evaluated the effects of three local businesses to detected changes. It is concluded that the changes in land use area of interest after 1990 are positive and that due to the implementation of business plans, these changes take place much faster and stronger than reported national trends. The text is supplemented adds a number of charts, graphs and thematic maps and the annex. Key words: landscape...

Green Infrastructure of Central Europe Green infrastructure is a strategically planned network that broadens the traditional conservation efforts to encompass the concept of ecosystem services. This study aims to identify green infrastructure network in Central Europe. Method presented in this thesis is an analysis of ecological connectivity based on ecosystem services potential quantified for CORINE land cover classes (Burkhard et al., 2009). Design of ecological corridors between the core areas represented by Natura 2000 sites is dependent on the capacity of ecosystems to provide ecological integrity and regulating services. Analysis was performed in ArcGIS Linkage Mapper extension. Green infrastructure network identifies 17 % of area of Central Europe that provides high values of ecosystem services. Corridors also create linkages between Natura 2000 sites and improve biodiversity conservation as well as they support migration corridors for large mammals. Full implementation of the Birds and Habitats directive and promoting of a European Green Infrastructure are two important targets of The EU Biodiversity strategy to 2020. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

i Charles University Faculty of Social Sciences Institute of Economic Studies MASTER'S THESIS Are Sharks Worth More Alive Than Dead? A Stated Preference Study on Shark Ecotourism in Costa Rica. Author: Bc. Alicia Maria Berrios Supervisor: Mgr. Milan Ščasný PhD. Academic Year: 2016/2017 ii Declaration of Authorship The author hereby declares that he compiled this thesis independently; using only the listed resources and literature, and the thesis has not been used to obtain a different or the same degree. The author grants to Charles University permission to reproduce and to distribute copies of this thesis document in whole or in part. Prague, January 01st , 2017 Signature iii Acknowledgments With boundless appreciation, I would like to extend my gratitude to Mgr. Milan Ščasný PhD., for his incredible support in writing this research. He spent a countless number of hours on this thesis work, and ultimately, this research wouldn't have been possible without him. I would also like to express my gratitude to Carlos Avila, for his generosity in helping me conduct the in-person interviews. I would also like to express my gratitude to Prof. Melville Saayman, who helped tremendously in the experimental design of this work. Thank you to Mgr. Martin Kryl for programming the survey instrument. Lastly, I would like to...

Throughout the twenty-first century, the lowering cost and increased availability of travel options has resulted in virtually uninterrupted economic growth of the international tourism sector. While financially beneficial, the increased movement of people has also been shown to have a negative impact on the environment, leading to the growth of a more environmentally-friendly approach to travel called nature-based tourism. One country at the forefront of the nature-based tourism movement is Iceland, and while the sector has grown significantly in the country over the past decade, the way in which information concerning environmental issues is communicated to tourists has not been widely researched. Being the case, the aim of this study was to examine the extent to which environmental issues are communicated to the general public through the use of the ecosystem services framework. Four popular nature-based tourism activities were selected for analysis; a whale watching tour, a horse riding tour, a boat tour of a glacial lagoon and a spa experience in a geothermal hot spring. A literature review concerning how the ecosystem services framework related to each of these tours was carried out and findings were compared to observatory data gathered through participation in said tourism activities. Results showed that while scientific publications could be found for each tour/ecosystem service combination, information concerning environmental issues was not widely communicated to participants in the nature-based tourism activities using the ecosystem services framework.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agronomy / Charles W. Rice / Biofuel feedstocks such as grains and cellulose are gaining increased attention as part of the U.S. portfolio of solutions to address climate change and improve energy security. As the future of biofuels unfolds, major concerns are emerging, including the sustainability of the soil resource in bioenergy cropping system. With a clear understanding of the sustainability risks that exist within the agricultural soil resources, it is now essential to develop metrics that document the soil health as well as the total biomass production of different cropping system. We tested the effectiveness of eight bioenergy plant species grouped between annual and perennial crops. Our main objective was to determine the sustainability of bioenergy cropping systems. There was significantly greater soil structural stability plus greater root biomass under the perennial crops but greater aboveground biomass in the annual crop. Differences in soil carbon measured to 1.2 m were not significant between energy crops after five years. A transparent, unbiased method to identify possible change in soil characteristics under bioenergy cropping practice was offered. Our next metrics were soil aggregate stability and microbial community structure as indicators of soil ecosystem health and environmental stability. The effects 24 years of differing levels of residue and fertilizer inputs on soil aggregate stability, aggregate C and microbial community structure were evaluated. A native, undisturbed prairie site, located nearby was used as a reference in this study. The results showed that greater inputs of inorganic N and increased returns of crop residues did not cause a proportionately greater increase in SOC. The abundance of microbial parameters generally followed their potential carbon pool in cultivated soils but a strong mismatch was observed in the native prairie site. Our results showed for the first time a clear disconnect between decomposers and macroaggregates; highlighting the role of soil structure in protecting organic matter. Soil carbon sequestration is one of the mechanisms that have been proposed as temporary measure to mitigate global climate change. However, there was a particularly large risk of negative effects of mitigation measures related to the increased removal of crop residues from cropping systems for use in bioenergy, if this means that soil carbon is reduced. Effective measurement of soil C at the field scale requires an understanding of the spatial variability of soil C on a landscape scale. Recent technological advances in soil C measurement offer new opportunities in this area. Our surface measurements of soil C by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) provided a quick assessment of soil C and, soil C predicted by NIRS and measured by dry combustion laboratory measurements was correlated with and R-squared of 0.84.

Rural people in the Sahel derive multiple benefits from local ecosystem services on a daily basis. At the same time, a large proportion of the population lives in multidimensional poverty. The global sustainability challenge is thus manifested in its one extreme here, with a strong need to improve human well-being without degrading the landscapes that people depend on. To address this challenge, knowledge on how local people interact with their landscapes, and how this changes over time, must be improved. An ecosystem services approach, focusing on benefits to people from ecosystem processes, is useful in this context. However, methods for assessing ecosystem services that include local knowledge while addressing a scale relevant for development interventions are lacking. In this thesis, such methods are developed to study Sahelian landscapes through an ecosystem services lens. The thesis is focused on village landscapes and is based on in-depth fieldwork in six villages in northern Burkina Faso. In these villages, participatory methods were used to identify social-ecological patches (landscape units that correspond with local descriptions of landscapes, characterized by a combination of land use, land cover and topography), the provisioning ecosystem services generated in each social-ecological patch, and the benefits from ecosystem services to livelihoods (Paper I). In Paper II, change in cover of social-ecological patches mapped on aerial photographs and satellite images from the period 1952-2016 was combined with population data and focus group discussions to evaluate change in generation of ecosystem services over time. In Paper III, up-scaling of the village scale assessment to provincial scale was done through the development of a classification method to identify social-ecological patches on medium-resolution satellite images. Paper IV addresses the whole Sudano-Sahelian climate zone of West Africa, to analyze woody vegetation as a key component for ecosystem services generation in the landscape. It is based on a systematic review of which provisioning and regulating ecosystem services are documented from trees and shrubs on agricultural lands in the region. Social-ecological patches and associated sets of ecosystem services are very similar in all studied villages across the two regions. Most social-ecological patches generate multiple ecosystem services with multiple benefits, illustrating a multifunctional landscape (Paper I). The social-ecological patches and ecosystem services are confirmed at province level in both regions, and the dominant social-ecological patches can be mapped with high accuracy on medium-resolution satellite images (Paper III). The potential generation of cultivated crops has more or less kept up with population growth in the villages, while the potential for other ecosystem services, particularly firewood, has decreased per capita (Paper II). Trees and shrubs contribute with multiple ecosystem services, but their landscape effects, especially on regulating ecosystem services, must be better studied (Paper IV). The thesis provides new insights about the complex and multi-functional landscapes of rural Sahel, nuancing dominating narratives on environmental change in the region. It also provides new methods that include local knowledge in ecosystem services assessments, which can be up-scaled to scales relevant for development interventions, and used to analyze changes in ecosystem services over time. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript.</p><p> </p>