Rangeland Ecosystem Services: Nature?s Supply and Humans? Demand

SALA, O.E.; AGUIAR, MARTIN R.; HAVSTAD, K; YAHDJIAN, L.

Rangeland Systems. Processes, Management and Challenges

Springer

Año: 2017; p. 467 - 489

Ecosystem services are the benefits that society receives from nature,including the regulation of climate, the pollination of crops, the provisioning ofintellectual inspiration and recreational environment, as well as many essentialgoods such as food, fiber, and wood. Rangeland ecosystem services are often valueddifferently by different stakeholders interested in livestock production, water qualityand quantity, biodiversity conservation, or carbon sequestration. The supply ofecosystem services depends on biophysical conditions and land-use history, andtheir availability is assessed using surveys of soils, plants, and animals. The demandfor ecosystem services depends on educational level, income, and location of residenceof social beneficiaries. The demand can be assessed through stakeholderinterviews, questionnaires, and surveys. Rangeland management affects the supplyof different ecosystem services by producing interactions among them. Trade-offsresult when an increase in one service is associated with a decline in another, andwin?win situations occur when an increase in one service is associated with anincrease in other services. This chapter provides a conceptual framework in whichrange management decisions are seen as a challenge of reconciling supply anddemand of ecosystem services.