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Published on: January 25, 2018
Uncovering ecosystem service bundles through social preferences
Berta Martín-López1, Irene Iniesta-Arandia, Marina García-Llorente
1Social-Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. berta.martin@uam.es
Plos One
|June 22, 2012
Summary
Social preferences significantly shape ecosystem service bundles and trade-offs, revealing key insights for environmental management. Understanding these socio-cultural factors is crucial for effective conservation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Social Science
- Ecology
Background:
- Ecosystem service assessments often overlook social-cultural dimensions, despite their recognized importance.
- Previous studies primarily relied on biophysical and economic indicators, neglecting social preferences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how social preferences influence ecosystem service bundles and trade-offs.
- To explore the role of socio-cultural factors and ecosystem management strategies in shaping these preferences.
Main Methods:
- Conducted 3,379 face-to-face questionnaires across eight case study sites in Spain (2007-2011).
- Utilized multivariate analysis, including redundancy analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, to identify ecosystem service bundles and trade-offs based on social preferences.
Main Results:
- 90.5% of respondents recognized ecosystem service delivery, influenced by education, environmental behavior, and gender.
- Regulating services, particularly air purification, were most frequently perceived.
- Identified a trade-off between provisioning/hunting services and regulating/cultural services.
- Discovered three distinct ecosystem service bundles linked to conservation status and rural-urban gradients.
Conclusions:
- Socio-cultural preferences are vital for identifying key ecosystem services and understanding their underlying drivers.
- Social preferences can effectively reveal emerging ecosystem service bundles and trade-offs.
- Integrating social dimensions into ecosystem service assessments enhances environmental management policies.
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