Coastal resource planning system: Integrating evaluation of ecological integrity and ecosystem services valuation

摘要

Efficient and effective coastal management decisions rely on knowledge of the impact of human activities onudecosystem integrity, vulnerable species, and valued ecosystem services—collectively, human impact onudenvironmental quality (EQ). Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is an emerging approach to address theuddynamics and complexities of coupled social-ecological systems. EBM “is intended to directly address the long-termudsustainable delivery of ecosystem services and the resilience of marine ecosystems to perturbations” (Rosenberg and Sandifer, 2009). The lack of a tool that integrates human choices with the ecological connections between contributing watersheds and nearshore areas, and that incorporates valuation of ecosystem services, is a critical missing piece needed for effective and efficient coastal management. To address the need for an integrative tool for evaluation of human impacts on ecosystems and their services, Battelle developed the EcoVal™ Environmental Quality Evaluation System. The EcoVal system is an updated (2009) version of the EQ Evaluation System for Water Resources developed by Battelle for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Dee et al., 1972). The Battelle EQ evaluation system has a thirty-year history of providing a standard approach to evaluate watershed EQ. This paper describes the conceptual approach and methodology of the updated EcoVal system and its potential application to coastal ecosystems. (PDF contains 4 pages)