This thesis investigates the relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being through a case study in Cornwall, UK. The study examines how aspects of the economic and socio-cultural environment interact and influence participants’ constructs of well-being, as well as mediate, through mechanisms of access, their ability to benefit from ecosystem services. The research design is informed by Sen’s capability approach as well as insights from literatures on access theory, human well-being, and ecosystem services. While Sen’s approach potentially offers a novel means to explore the ecosystem services and well-being relationship, it is currently underutilised in this research context. Adopting an in-depth qualitative research approach, data collection took place over 21 months with the same cohort of participants, who face various types of socio-economic disadvantage. Focus groups, life history interviews, photo elicitation, and semi-structured interviews were used to (a) elicit local constructs of well-being, (b) explore the role of ecosystem services for well-being, and (c) identify mechanisms of access that mediate participants’ ability to benefit from valued ecosystem services. The analysis shows that capabilities are interlinked and multidimensional. Therefore, existing socio-economic constraints have important implications for capability formation, and also lead to a series of trade-offs in converting capabilities into well-being. The findings deliver new insights into existing conceptualizations of the ecosystem services and well-being relationship, highlighting the role of cultural practices as sources of well-being, and identifying cultural ecosystem services as an overarching theme rather than a discrete service type. Four types of access mechanisms emerge from the data, including psychological mechanisms, demonstrating that physical distance is an insufficient indicator of exposure to ecosystem services. The thesis concludes by suggesting that developing a capability theory for ecosystem services could aid disaggregated analyses and deliver more nuanced insights into the complex links between ecosystem services and well-being, by shifting the focus from outcomes to opportunities and the processes that contribute to particular outcomes.

Submitted by Filipe Nepomuceno (filipearn@yahoo.com.br) on 2015-12-01T13:22:05Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 22190 bytes, checksum: 19e8a2b57ef43c09f4d7071d2153c97d (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO_AbelhasVespasSolitárias.pdf: 8557441 bytes, checksum: 592d20da2a3487a05b33d7d7cce3a5bc (MD5) / Rejected by Gracilene Carvalho (gracilene@sisbin.ufop.br), reason: a pedido on 2015-12-01T13:25:27Z (GMT) / Submitted by Filipe Nepomuceno (filipearn@yahoo.com.br) on 2015-12-01T13:29:53Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 22190 bytes, checksum: 19e8a2b57ef43c09f4d7071d2153c97d (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO_ReconstruimosVirãoAbelhas.pdf: 8557441 bytes, checksum: 592d20da2a3487a05b33d7d7cce3a5bc (MD5) / Rejected by Gracilene Carvalho (gracilene@sisbin.ufop.br), reason: substituir o arquivo on 2015-12-02T14:53:29Z (GMT) / Submitted by Filipe Nepomuceno (filipearn@yahoo.com.br) on 2015-12-02T15:04:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO_ResconstruirmosVirãoAbelhas.pdf: 15205054 bytes, checksum: 5139b7c46cdb34bab29fd55cdf98162a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Gracilene Carvalho (gracilene@sisbin.ufop.br) on 2015-12-02T15:07:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO_ResconstruirmosVirãoAbelhas.pdf: 15205054 bytes, checksum: 5139b7c46cdb34bab29fd55cdf98162a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-02T15:07:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO_ResconstruirmosVirãoAbelhas.pdf: 15205054 bytes, checksum: 5139b7c46cdb34bab29fd55cdf98162a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / As matas ciliares compõem uma vegetação característica de margem de corpos d’água, apresentando importantes funções ecossistêmicas, impedindo o assoreamento de rios, lagos e lagoas, promovendo a estabilidade nos ambientes aquáticos, atuando como corredores ecológicos e funcionando como importantes áreas de refúgio para diversas espécies da fauna. Nesse trabalho avaliou-se o sucesso da restauração de quatro fragmentos de mata ciliar, no entorno do Reservatório da Usina Hidrelétrica de Volta Grande situada entre os estados de Minas Gerais e São Paulo comparando-as com um fragmento que passou por processo de sucessão natural. Utilizou-se como indicador a comunidade de abelhas e vespas solitárias que nidificam cavidades preexistentes. Avaliou-se a relação entre largura, período de recuperação, matriz adjacente e a estrutura da vegetação sobre a riqueza, abundância, composição e rede de interação com parasitas de ninhos. As matas ciliares restauradas apresentaram uma riqueza (s=20) e abundância (n=368) maiores em relação a vários outros levantamentos em áreas primárias. A área referência e as áreas com maior largura apresentaram uma maior riqueza de abelhas e as áreas mais novas apresentaram maior abundância de vespas. A maior quantidade de fragmentos de cerrado na matriz determinou a maior riqueza e abundância de abelhas e vespas. Quanto maior a complexidade estrutural da vegetação nos fragmentos mais diversificada é a comunidade e diferentes espécies responderam de forma diferente a essa complexidade. As abelhas e vespas solitárias que nidificam em cavidades preexistentes se mostraram excelentes preditoras de qualidade ambiental, demonstrando que o processo de restauração das matas ciliares está caminhando para o sucesso por disponibilizar ambientes para a ocupação da fauna e estar recuperando dos serviços ecossistêmicos perdidos. __________________________________________________________________________________________ / Riparian forests play an important role in the preservation of water bodies and, in maintaining biodiversity, act as refuges for many species or can be used as ecological corridors. The restoration of these environments is critical to the recovery of pollinator communities. In this work we study the role of restored riparian forest on the riverbanks of the Volta Grande Reservoir (MG and SP) in maintaining bees and wasps communities that nest in preexisting cavities so as to verify if here is difference in richness, abundance and composition throughout the seasons (dry and wet), if there is a relationship between richness and abundance of these individuals and their parasites and the degree of specialization of parasites in relation to the hosts. Were recorded 12 species of wasps, eight of bees and nine species of parasites of the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera in addition to mites and fungi. The wasps Trypoxylon nitidum (Smith, 1856), Pachodynerus grandis Willink & Roig-Alsina, 1998 and the bee Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius, 1804) were the most abundant. Areas with longer time of restoration showed higher species richness. However the abundance was higher in most recent areas. The composition of bees and wasps assembly has not changed between the four seasonal periods evaluated, although it has changed between sampling areas. The richness and abundance were higher in warmer and rainy periods. The rate of bee mortality was 45.68% and 48.62% for the wasps. Richness parasites correlated positively with the richness and abundance of bees and wasps. The network of host- parasite interaction has a modular configuration with generalists and specialists. Recovered riparian forests are providing environmental conditions necessary for the maintenance of bees and wasps communities that nest in preexisting cavities.

No description available.

In this article we develop a comprehensive conceptual framework for resource efficiency indicators with a consistent link of resource use to the socio-economic system and activities therein as well as to the natural system and its ecosystem functioning. Three broad groups of indicators are defined: (1) resource use indicators representing pressures on the environment; (2) resource efficiency indicators relating resource use indicators to the socio-economic side; and (3) environmental impact indicators linking resource use impacts on the state of the natural system. Based on this conceptual framework we develop a structure for possible resource efficiency indicators and conduct a RACER evaluation on the Relevance, Acceptance, Credibility, Easiness and Robustness of indicators. With the RACER evaluation, we identify areas where indicators are well established and available as well as areas where indicators still need further development or even need to be designed first.

Compounding evidence suggests a current or impending sixth mass extinction event and pollinator crisis. While several factors contribute to pollinator declines, the most notable driver is habitat loss and degradation. Agricultural grasslands provide crucial habitat for wild and domesticated fauna, regulate water and nutrient cycles, store carbon, and maintain soil stabilization. However, conventional tall fescue pastures, which dominate the southeastern United States, limit pollinator habitat, reduce ecosystem services, and diminish cattle productivity if infected with toxic endophytes. Establishing wildflowers (WFs) and native warm season grasses (NWSGs) into tall fescue pastures has the potential to boost both pollinator ecosystem services and cattle productivity. This study monitored the differences in honey bee colony health, productivity, and pollen foraging behavior between diversified and conventional grazing pastures in south west Virginia. Chapter 1 sought to evaluate the health and productivity of hives within NWSGW+ diversified and conventional grazing systems. Chapter 2 sought to 1) determine whether honey bees used sown wildflower species in diversified pastures as significant sources of pollen, 2) compare species composition and nutritive value of pollen collected from hives within diversified and conventional pasture systems, and 3) evaluate temporal trends in pollen collection. Floral surveys revealed diversified pastures had almost 4x greater mean bloom density than conventional pastures, with over half of all blooms recorded in diversified pastures belonging to unsown species. Results from this study suggest that colonies in diversified pasture systems may have a slight advantage in population resource acquisition, population growth, and winter survival following the first year of establishment, though further research is needed. Pollen DNA metabarcoding revealed that honey bees in both diversified and conventional pasture systems have similar diets, and that sown species were foraged upon primarily in the fall. Samples collected from diversified pasture systems yielded greater pollen weight, species richness, and protein content. In conjunction with previous research, these results indicate that diversified pastures could ultimately provide a more complex nutritional support system for pollinators in grazing agroecosystems. However, individual pasture renovation may not be large enough to yield statistically significant differences in honey bee colony success. / Master of Science / Many studies have suggested that we are currently experiencing or entering a sixth mass extinction event and pollinator crisis. While several factors contribute to pollinator declines, the most notable driver is habitat loss and degradation. Agricultural grasslands provide crucial habitat, regulate water and nutrient cycles, store carbon, and maintain soil stabilization. However, conventional tall fescue pastures, which dominate the southeastern United States, limit pollinator habitat, reduce ecosystem services, and can diminish cattle productivity. Establishing wildflowers (WFs) and native warm season grasses (NWSGs) into tall fescue pastures has the potential to boost both pollinator and cattle health and productivity. This study monitored the differences in honey bee colony health, productivity, and pollen foraging behavior between pastures diversified with WFs and NWSGs and conventional grazing pastures in south west Virginia. Chapter 1 evaluated the health and productivity of hives within diversified and conventional grazing systems. Chapter 2 sought to 1) determine whether honey bees used sown wildflower species in diversified pastures as significant sources of pollen, 2) compare species types and value of pollen collected from hives within diversified and conventional pasture systems, and 3) evaluate temporal trends in pollen collection. Floral surveys revealed diversified pastures had almost 4x greater mean bloom density than conventional pastures, with over half of all blooms recorded in diversified pastures belonging to species we didn't purposefully plant. Results from this study suggest that honey bee colonies in diversified pasture systems may have a slight advantage in resource acquisition, population growth, and winter survival following the first year of establishment, though further research is needed. A Pollen DNA analysis revealed that honey bees in both diversified and conventional pasture systems have similar diets, and that they collected pollen and nectar from the flowers we planted primarily in the fall. Honey bee colonies in diversified pastures collected more protein-rich pollen from a wider variety of flowers. These results indicate that diversified pastures could ultimately provide a more complex nutritional support system for pollinators in grazing agroecosystems. However, individual pasture renovation may not be large enough to yield large differences in honey bee colony success.

A typology of urban vacant land was developed using Roanoke, Virginia, as the study area. Because of its industrial past, topography and climate, Roanoke provides a range of vacant land types typical of those in many areas of the Mid-Atlantic, Eastern and Midwestern United States. A comprehensive literature review, field measurements and observations analysis and aerial photo interpretation and ground-truthing methods were utilized to identify and catalog vacant parcels of land and the results were mapped using i-Tree Canopy to identify the following types of urban vacant land: post-industrial (3.34 km2), derelict (4.01 km2), unattended with vegetation (17.3 km2), natural (2.78 km2), and transportation-related (5.01 km2). Unattended with vegetation sites are important resources as the health biodiversity found in natural sites benefits urban populations and they represent the highest plantable space. The redesign of post-industrial sites builds a city's image and transportation-related sites can contribute a green infrastructure network of open spaces. This typological study has significant implications for policy development, and for planners and designers seeking the best use for vacant urban land. The analysis of Roanoke's urban forest revealed around 210,000 trees on vacant land, a tree cover of 30.6%. These trees store about 107,000 tons of carbon (worth $7.65 million) and remove about 2,300 tons of carbon ($164,000), and about 91 tons of air pollution ($916,000) every year, which is high relative to other land uses. Trees on vacant land are estimated to reduce annual residential energy costs by $211,000 for the city's 97,000 residents and their structural value is estimated at $169 million. The methodology applied to assess ecosystem services in this study can also be used to assess ecosystem services of vacant land in other urban contexts and improve urban forest policies, planning, and the management of vacant land. The study findings support the inclusion of trees on vacant land providing a new vision of vacant urban land as a valuable ecological resource by demonstrating how green infrastructure can be used to enhance ecosystem health and promote a better quality of life for city residents. / Ph. D.

In recent decades, the concept of ecosystem services has deepened our appreciation of the myriad benefits provided by ecosystems, and the risks to human societies posed by ecosystem degradation. There is a growing realisation that problems traditionally considered to be outside the environmental policy arena are in truth strongly connected to the environment: ecosystems underlie issues spanning climate, energy, food, water, urban planning, human health, economic development, social justice, and national security. Payments for ecosystem services (PES) create positive financial incentives for the protection and restoration of ecosystems, and represent one way to better represent the value of ecosystem services across a range of sectors. PES schemes are gaining traction in climate mitigation and biodiversity protection strategies, and most of all in the water sector. PES is complementing traditional approaches to water management and helping to address deteriorating water quality, declining water flows, and flooding. This thesis takes a legal perspective, examining the role of legal frameworks in the design and administration of PES. It focuses on PES aimed at protecting freshwater ecosystem services, and considers how legal frameworks can incorporate PES into strategies for drinking water provision. It examines an emerging body of law relating directly to PES, and provides an opportunity to consider some of the leading examples of the ES concept being reflected in law. It distinguishes three broad categories of legal frameworks that establish, regulate or enable PES. A comparative methodology is applied to an analysis of case studies of legal frameworks for PES from: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, New York, England and Ontario. This analysis draws out conclusions about how the law relates to key policy issues around ES and PES, and different approaches to developing legal frameworks to guide PES, depending on different contexts and policy objectives.

Coastal ecosystems, such as the salt marsh of the Georgia coast, have long been valued for decision-making purposes based on market-values of goods and services including: fishery landings, hedonic pricing of waterfront homes, and tourism dollars. These values do not show the full picture of services provided by these ecosystems. Using focus group discussions and key informant interviews I investigate socio-cultural values and benefits provided by salt marsh ecosystems in central coastal Georgia. Participants noted that through their experiences in marshes they developed a desire to be stewards. This desire, coupled with the industrial pollution, residential development, and sea-level rise threats in the area result in a need for cooperative conservation and thus better enforcement of existing regulations. This relational value persisted across geographic locations and sample populations. My results show the importance of utilizing diverse members of community to elicit qualitative value statements. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Human reliance on the goods and services provided by ecosystems and the global decline in the health of many of these ecosystems, necessitates ecosystem valuation for the purposes of decision-making and conservation policy. The literature suggests that conventionally employed economic valuation methods have been unsuccessful in capturing the full scope of the benefits ecosystems provide, particularly those benefits that are considered cultural. This research explores public perceptions of salt marsh value through the use of focus groups in marsh-adjacent communities in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Georgia. Results suggest that in case study communities, outdoor experiences in salt marshes inspire serenity in Massachusetts, shape shore and “marsh” identities in Virginia, and promote stewardship cultivation in Georgia. Perceived threats to these benefits, such as the threat of residential development, industrial pollution, and increasing flood risk, together constitute the context for various community responses related to marsh protection. Results contribute to existing economic valuations. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The ecosystem service (ES) approach to conservation normally uses economic or biophysical assessments for valuating nature's services. In contrast, even though ES are required for human well-being, the actual uses of services by differing interest groups are rarely considered, nor are intangible cultural ES. The aim of this research was to quantify different uses for 15 cultural and provisioning ES indicators across seven groups on a regional scale, as well assess spatial differences in ES across eight groups using participatory GIS. Results demonstrate that different interest groups use ES differently; in terms of ES type, frequency of use, as well as spatial location of ES use. In particular, this work highlights the importance of considering cultural ES (e.g. aesthetic/scenic, sense-of-place) during decision making processes. Spatial locations of ES hotspots were also shown to correspond with established areas of high biodiversity, both required for effective and legitimate decisions regarding land use.