Managing agroecosystem services

In Boelee, Eline. (Ed.). Managing water and agroecosystems for food security. Wallingford, UK: CAB

The ecosystem service value of protected areas for cyclone protection in Queensland, Australia

Protected areas and the natural environment deliver a wide range of ecosystem services that contribute to human wellbeing. Here we examine the value of protected areas for cyclone and coastal protection in Queensland, Australia. Natural events such as cyclones threaten the health or wellbeing of human society however we can plan to minimize their impacts. Sea level rise, as well as an increase in cyclone intensity and storm surges associated with climate change will result in the erosion of shores and habitats, increased salinity of estuaries and freshwater aquifers, altered tidal ranges in rivers and bays, changes in sediment and transport, and amplified risk of coastal flooding that, in turn, will increase the vulnerability of coastal populations. Coastal wetlands, such as mangroves and floodplains, barrier islands and coastal vegetation all play a critical role in reducing the impacts of floodwaters produced by coastal storm events and tropical cyclones as well as in physically buffering climate change impacts. In an era when mankind�s activities are the dominant force influencing biological communities and ecosystems, proper management requires understanding of the pattern and process in biological systems and development of assessment and evaluation procedures that assure protection of biological resources. That assessment must also include the value of ecosystem services and the role they play in disaster and risk reduction

Water-related ecosystem services and food security

In Boelee, Eline. (Ed.). Managing water and agroecosystems for food security. Wallingford, UK: CABIComprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture Series 1

Introduction

In Boelee, Eline. (Ed.). Managing water and agroecosystems for food security. Wallingford, UK: CABIComprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture Series 1

A catchment-based approach to mapping hydrological ecosystem services using riparian habitat: a case study from the Wet Tropics, Australia

Hydrological processes have been identified as delivering ecosystem services that are fundamental to\ud both human well-being and the maintenance of biodiversity. If we can map the hydrological processes\ud and the threats to them, the integrity of the provision of ecosystem services from the catchment can be\ud identified, highlighting areas in need of further protection. Using the Tully-Murray catchment in the Wet\ud Tropics as a case study, we constructed a simplified description of the ecosystem functions and related\ud processes, and identified the roles of the ecosystem service providers and beneficiaries. Mapping the\ud riparian zone and adjacent land uses enabled us to visualise areas where non-remnant vegetation\ud existed and also vegetation that was classified as 'Endangered' or 'Of Concern'. An assessment of the\ud riparian vegetation and adjacent land use revealed that 51% of the catchment contained non-remnant\ud riparian vegetation (i.e. was cleared or under agricultural production) and 36% of remnant vegetation\ud was described as "Endangered" with a further 35% being classified as "Of Concern". This is consistent\ud with the reported current threats from water quality degradation, habitat fragmentation and other\ud anthropogenic influences driven by rapid economic growth. The findings and data derived from this\ud project can be used for a range of purposes in managing the riparian zone. Mapping the riparian zone and\ud adjacent land use has shown the different types of land uses that impact on waterways and this will\ud assist natural resource managers in prioritizing areas where remnant vegetation should be retained or\ud rehabilitated. With this information, adjacent landholders can improve their management of the riparian\ud zone and remnant vegetation through gaining the ecosystem service benefits, and further are able to\ud profit from grant applications and incentives. Maintaining a healthy waterway and retaining remnant\ud riparian vegetation will offer the possibility to obtain many economic, biodiversity and aesthetic benefits\ud both within the catchment and downstream as far as the Great Barrier Reef

Challenges to agroecosystem management

In Boelee, Eline. (Ed.). Managing water and agroecosystems for food security. Wallingford, UK: CABIComprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture Series 1

Water use in agroecosystems

In Boelee, Eline. (Ed.). Managing water and agroecosystems for food security. Wallingford, UK: CABIComprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture Series 1

Supporting Regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) organisations to update their NRM plans for adaptation to climate change

Our paper presents an innovative co-research approach to addressing the challenges faced by Australian NRM organisations in managing the impacts of climate change on natural resources. The project involves four regional NRM organisations and researchers from two major research institutions. The four NRM organisations in the 'Wet Tropics Cluster' (WTC) are: (i) Reef Catchments NRM, (ii) Terrain NRM, (iii) Cape York NRM, and (iv) Torres Strait Regional Authority. They cover the major part of the far northeastern coastal region of Queensland, Australia. This region is recognised globally for its outstanding natural values and NRM organisations are responsible for meeting international obligations to manage and maintain the high biodiversity values as well as balancing a wide range of social, economic, cultural and environmental needs. In the face of a changing climate, NRM organisations are required to also incorporate planning strategies that are aimed at mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. This project is aimed at supporting NRM organisations in their planning, first by establishing a 'Brokering Hub' for the WTC, which brings together researchers and NRM organisations to guide the work of the WTC and facilitate the development and communication of new knowledge and tools. The research component of the Brokering Hub is divided into three 'Science Nodes', one of which is the 'Participatory Scenarios and Knowledge Integration Node. (Figure 1). Our initial work in this Node has focused on the identification of focal issues and key drivers of change in the four NRM regions through a participatory process with members of the Brokering Hub. The results from this process have highlighted similarities and key differences between regions, indicating the specific scientific information needs required by each NRM organisation to develop potential climate adaption responses. In order to address the issues and information needs of NRM organisations, new knowledge and tools will be generated by the Science Nodes in collaboration with the NRM organisations. Our innovative co-research approach equips the regions well for this task