Search results for " ecosystem services"
showing 10 items of 31 documents
Evaluation of payment for ecosystem services in Mediterraneanforest: An empirical survey
2016
Abstract The relationship between humans and the forest has always been an important element, sometimes characterizing in the history of man himself. During the last years, the socio-economic context is profoundly changed, diversifying economic services provided by the forest. In the past, in fact, the primary function of the forest was the firewood production, while nowadays it grants several socio-economic benefits such as climate change mitigation, soil protection, protection and conservation of biodiversity, landscaping and recreational value. So, in recent decades a new type of socio-economic interest was developed in order to create a market of goods and services for the forests, call…
Contrasting behavioural responses of two egg parasitoids to buckwheat floral scent is reflected in field parasitism rates
2017
The use of food supplements in conservation biological control (CBC) programmes is considered an essential element for increasing parasitoid fitness and their population density leading to an increase in overall parasitism levels. However, non-crop habitats that substitute the necessary resources for natural enemies have not always achieved the desired effects. It is suggested that the composition of flower strips in agricultural systems around/in agricultural fields plays an important role because not all plant species are equally suitable and the consumption of food resources by parasitoids can shape direct and indirect interactions with other arthropods and the community complex. We deve…
The impact of climate change on Mediterranean intertidal communities: losses in coastal ecosystem integrity and services
2014
As has been shown for other ecosystems, the ecological and socio-economic impacts of climate change on Mediterranean intertidal habitats are highly variable in space and time. We conducted field and laboratory measurements of cellular, ecophysiological and behavioural responses of selected intertidal invertebrates (mussels, gastropods and sponges) and completed a literature review to determine what is known of socioeconomic consequences of these biological changes. Results suggest significant gaps in our knowledge that may impede a complete understanding of likely impacts (physical, biological, and socioeconomic) and that sufficient data for such an analysis is available only for mussels. A…
Mapping and assessing ecosystem services in the EU:Lessons learned from the ESMERALDA approach of integration
2018
The European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action ESMERALDA aimed at developing guidance and a flexible methodology for Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) to support the EU member states in the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy's Target 2 Action 5. ESMERALDA's key tasks included network creation, stakeholder engagement, enhancing ecosystem services mapping and assessment methods across various spatial scales and value domains, work in case studies and support of EU member states in MAES implementation. Thus ESMERALDA aimed at integrating various project outcomes around four major strands: i) Networking, ii) Policy, iii) Research an…
Advanced earth observation approach for multiscale forest ecosystem services modeling and mapping (MIMOSE)
2014
In the last decade ecosystem services (ES) have been proposed as a method for quantifying the multifunctional role of forest ecosystems. Their spatial distribution on large areas is frequently limited by the lack of information, because field data collection with traditional methods requires much effort in terms of time and cost. In this contribution we propose a methodology (namely, MultIscale Mapping Of ecoSystem servicEs - MIMOSE) based on the integration of remotely sensed images and field observation to produce a wall-to-wall geodatabase of forest parcels accompanied with several information useful as a basis for future trade-off analysis of different ES. Here, we present the applicat…
Adaptive forest governance to face land use change impacts in Italy: a review
2015
Il cambiamento dell’uso del suolo è uno dei driver principali della riduzione della resilienza ecosistemica, così come della perdita di biodiversità e approvvigionamento di servizi. Rappresenta una sfida peculiare, specialmente negli ambienti mediterranei, dove i fenomeni di abbandono e ricolonizzazione naturale stanno minacciando in modo sempre più crescente la capacità delle foreste di fornire benefici alle comunità locali. In queste condizioni, il sistema di governance forestale è chiamato a bilanciare gli impatti del cambiamento dell’uso del suolo con l’assicurazione della salute e della stabilità degli ecosistemi forestali, al fine di garantire la sostenibilità a lungo termine degli am…
Un passo avanti e un passo indietro nell’Antropocene: Rights for Ecosystem Services, comunità locali e REDD
2019
L’autrice del libro When Rights Embrace Responsibilities. Biocultural Rights and Conservation of the Environment risponde ad alcune delle questioni sollevate da Francesco Viola e Gianfrancesco Zanetti nelle loro recensioni, pubblicate in questo numero della rivista. L’autrice si sofferma inoltre su alcuni temi discussi nel libro che richiedono ulteriori approfondimenti e su possibili sviluppi del concetto di diritti bioculturali. The author of the book When Rights Embrace Responsibilities. Biocultural Rights and Conservation of the Environment replies to the comments raised by Francesco Viola and Gianfrancesco Zanetti in the present journal issue. She also dwells on some topics of her book …
Agricoltura di qualità e rete natura 2000: “laboratori” del cambiamento
2011
Through the centuries, rural communities have managed their environment creating a rich landscape diversity. This represents an historical heritage both for the region and for humanity because the "world" itself represents the sum of widespread fragmentation processes following specific laws. The intense socio-economic changes of the last century, the rise of the "global" markets, in particular, have radically changed the landscape configuration and its natural quality across Europe. Natura 2000 network and the network of protected areas are currently the "open laboratories" to test a model of development that is compatible with the priceless treasure such as: species, habitats, landscape a…
The role of sustainable agroforestry practices and food consumption to prevent tropical deforestation and increase ecosystem services
2022
Tropical forests harbor most of global terrestrial biodiversity and provide essential ecosystem services, although they have been largely replaced by agricultural activities. Amazon is the largest tropical forest remaining, and cattle ranching and soybean cultivation are by far the greater drivers of deforestation, that together with other few commodities constitutes the main products responsible for the imported deforestation caused by European countries. Agroforestry systems and sustainable intensification are pointed out as solutions to conciliate food production with environmental conservation, thus reviewing the results of studies comparing these practices against conventional ones are…
Priorities for research in soil ecology
2017
The ecological interactions that occur in and with soil are of consequence in many ecosystems on the planet. These interactions provide numerous essential ecosystem services, and the sustainable management of soils has attracted increasing scientific and public attention. Although soil ecology emerged as an independent field of research many decades ago, and we have gained important insights into the functioning of soils, there still are fundamental aspects that need to be better understood to ensure that the ecosystem services that soils provide are not lost and that soils can be used in a sustainable way. In this perspectives paper, we highlight some of the major knowledge gaps that shoul…