Mangroves in Ecuador: An application and comparison of ecosystem service models
Abstract
Mangroves provide an abundant supply of ecosystem services such as coastal protection,
fish nursery, recreation, and carbon sequestration. After a severe loss of mangroves
predominately due to shrimp farming from 1969 to 2000, Ecuador realized the importance
of mangroves and their related ecosystem services. In response, the government’s
interest grew to understand ecosystem services valuation (ESV) models that provide
robust valuation for the ecosystem services(ES).
Working with the Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF), this report identified and evaluated
applicable ESV models, valued and mapped the ecosystem services values of Ecuadorian
mangrove with ESV models.
This report aims to calculate the value of ecosystem services of mangroves with the
existing modeling tools. The following models were initially considered: InVEST, AIRES,
MIMES, Co$ting Nature, EcoServ, LUCI, and SolVES. Each model is different, and therefore
likely to generate a different valuation of ecosystem services for the same area.
In addition, the report compared the variance within models for four different scenarios:
status-quo, lose-all, reforestation, full-recovery. Results include both numerical
information and highlight the usefulness of each different modeling tool. Based on
results and analyses, suggestions are made on suitable ESV models for mangrove ecosystems,
and decision support information are provided to Socio Manglar program of Ministry
of Environment of Ecuador.
Type
Master's projectSubject
MangrovesEcosystem Services
Ecosystem Service Valuation
Ecuador
Ecosystem Service Valuation Models
Ecuadorian Mangroves
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9597Citation
Burgess, Paul; Li, Xiangyi; & Qin, Siyu (2015). Mangroves in Ecuador: An application and comparison of ecosystem service models. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9597.Collections
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