Can ecosystem properties be fully translated into service values? an economic valuation of aquatic plant services

Ecological Applications 21. 5 (2011): 3083-3103 copyright by the Ecological Society of AmericaWe carried out an integrated analysis of ecosystem services in the Doñana social-ecological system (southwestern Spain), from the providers (different aquatic plant functional groups) to the beneficiaries (different stakeholders living in or visiting the area). We explored the ecosystem services supplied by aquatic plants by linking these services to different plant functional traits, identifying relevant ecosystem services and then working our way backward to ecosystem properties and the functional traits underpinning them. We started from 15 ecosystem services associated with aquatic systems (freshwater marshes, salt marshes, ponds on aeolian sheets, temporal coastal ponds, and estuaries) and related them to plant traits (directly or indirectly through intermediate ecosystem properties). We gathered information from the literature on the functional traits of 144 plants occurring in the aquatic ecosystems of Doñana. We analyzed the species×trait matrix with multivariate classification and ordination techniques and obtained seven functional groups with different potentials for delivering ecosystem services. A survey was then administered to 477 stakeholders to analyze, through the use of a contingent valuation exercise, how the ecosystem services provided by the different functional groups were valued. We identified connections between individual plant traits, ecosystem processes, and ecosystem services, but a mismatch appeared between the functional groups and the economic values placed on them by the beneficiaries. We found that contingent valuation applied to ecosystem services tended to ignore the ecosystem properties and biodiversity underpinning them. Our results cast doubts over the suitability of the economic valuation framework of ecosystem services to capture the full value of biodiversity and ecosystems to peopleThis research was partially supported by a grant from the Madrid Regional Government of Education, which was co-funded by the Social European Fund (F.S.E.), the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Project CGL2006- 14121/BOS), and the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs through project 018/2009. S. Díaz acknowledges support from FONCyT and CONICET (Argentina) and IAI (CRN 2015, supported by US NSF GEO- 0452325

The pitfall-trap of species conservation priority setting

This an accepted author's manuscript (AAM) version of an article published in Biodiversity and Conservation, 20 (2011): 663-68

ABP integral en histología (teoria i pràctiques), una experiència amb èxit a la Facultat de Medicina

A la nostra Unitat tenim la responsabilitat de dues assignatures de la Llicenciatura de Medicina: (1) Histologia Mèdica (HM), semestral, troncal de 1r curs de 4,5 crèdits (3 crèdits teòrics i 1,5 crèdits pràctics). Al curs 2006-07 es varen matricular 387 estudiants. (2) Estructura Microscòpica d'Aparells I Sistemes Humans (EMASH), anyal, troncal de 2n curs de 9 crèdits (4,5 crèdits teòrics i 4,5 crèdits pràctics. Al curs 2006-07 es varen matricular 298 estudiants.En els darrers anys el nostre objectiu ha sigut migrar des de un mètode docent tradicional de classes magistrals fins a un mètode tipus ABP (Aprenentatge Basat en Problemes) integral (teoria i pràctiques), que a més a més seguís les directius del Protocol de Bolònia per tal d'integrar aquestes assignatures a un nou programa docent de la Llicenciatura a l' EEES (Espai Europeu d'Educació Superior)

Identifying past social-ecological thresholds to understand long-term temporal dynamics in Spain

A thorough understanding of long-term temporal social-ecological dynamics at the national scale helps to explain the current condition of a country’s ecosystems and to support environmental policies to tackle future sustainability challenges. We aimed to develop a methodological approach to understand past long-term (1960-2010) social-ecological dynamics in Spain. First, we developed a methodical framework that allowed us to explore complex social-ecological dynamics among biodiversity, ecosystem services, human well-being, drivers of change, and institutional responses. Second, we compiled 21 long-term, national-scale indicators and analyzed their temporal relationships through a redundancy analysis. Third, we used a Bayesian change point analysis to detect evidence of past social-ecological thresholds and historical time periods. Our results revealed that Spain has passed through four socialecological thresholds that define five different time periods of nature and society relationships. Finally, we discussed how the proposed methodological approach helps to reinterpret national-level ecosystem indicators through a new conceptual lens to develop a more systems-based way of understanding long-term social-ecological patterns and dynamicsThis work was supported by the Biodiversity Foundation (http://www.fundacion-biodiversidad.es/) of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Partial financial support was also provided by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain (project CGL2014-53782-P: ECOGRADIENTES). The Spanish National Institute for Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (INIA) funded Marina García-Llorente as part of the European Social Fund. Blanca González García-Mon participated in this article as a “la Caixa” Banking Foundation scholar. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, preparation of the report, or the decision to submit the study for publicatio

Los servicios de los ecosistemas de la Reserva de Biosfera Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta

La Reserva de Biosfera Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (RB-CGSM) es un complejo sistema de humedales marino costeros que presenta una marcada interdependencia en su funcionamiento. Estos ecosistemas interactúan con varias poblaciones humanas asentadas en el territorio mediante el suministro de servicios de los ecosistemas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar los servicios de los ecosistemas de la RB-CGSM que son percibidos por diferentes actores. Se realizaron entrevistas semi-estructuradas para conocer la percepción del suministro de servicios de los ecosistemas, sus tendencias de cambio y cómo son valorados. Se obtuvieron 777 respuestas que fueron tipificadas en 34 categorías de las cuales el 55% corresponden a servicios de abastecimiento, 43% a servicios culturales y el 2% fueron servicios de regulación. Se determinó que la oferta de aproximadamente la mitad de ellos ha disminuido (43,9%) o desaparecido (4,6%) y tres cuartas partes de los servicios percibidos tienen gran importancia al ser considerados como esenciales (46,8%) o muy importantes (28,5%) para los entrevistados. Los resultados constituyen una base de conocimiento necesaria para el análisis de las implicaciones del uso de los servicios, así como para establecer directrices de gestión orientadas a mantener un flujo sostenible de servicios esenciales para el bienestar humano.The Biosphere Reserve Ciénaga Grande of Santa Marta (RBCGSM) is a complex coastal and marine wetland system with a strong functioning interdependency. These ecosystems interact with several local communities through the supply of ecosystem services. The aim of this paper was to identify ecosystem services of RBCGSM that are perceived by different actors. We carried out semi-structured interviews in order to analyze the social perception, the trends of changes and a social valuation of ecosystem services. We obtained 777 responses which were typified in 34 categories, from which 55% were provisioning services, 43% cultural services, and 2% were regulating services. The supply of approximately half of them has decreased (43,9%) or disappeared (4,6%) and three-quarters of perceived services were considered as essential (46,8%) or very important (28,5%) for interviewees. The results provide a base of knowledge required for the analysis of the implications of ecosystem services use, as well as for the proposal and implementation of management guidelines aimed at maintaining a sustainable flow of ecosystem services essential for human wellbeing

Social-ecological factors influencing tourist satisfaction in three ecotourism lodges in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon

This an accepted author's manuscript (AAM) version of an article published in Tourism Management, 33 (2012) 545-55