An Ecologist’s Perspective on Valuing Nature Thomas A. Spies PNW Research Station

  Supporting services, e.g. primary and secondary production, and biodiversity.  Provisioning services, e.g. products: food, water, fiber etc.  Regulating services, e.g. carbon sequestration, climate and water regulation, natural hazard protection  Cultural services, satisfy human spiritual and aesthetic appreciation of nature. Ecosystem Services

  Means to an end  Previous list of services  End in itself  Worth in itself, not in service to anything Instrumental vs intrinsic values

  Rarity/Scarcity vs Common  Diversity vs simple/homogeneous  Native vs non-native  Historical (pre-euroamerican) vs post- euroamerican  Dynamic vs stable Some valued ecological characteristics

  Process vs state  Multi scale vs single scale  Ecosystem vs single species/service  High vs low dimensionality  Referent points based on range of variation vs single point/stage  Ecological engineering vs nature reserves Different Ecological Perspectives

  Rates of change (e.g. production, population)  States (e.g. biomass, habitat area, population)  Heterogeneity (spatial and temporal)  Relationships and interactions (drivers and responders)  Scale effects (ecological and spatio-temporal)  Disturbances as drivers Metrics and Ways of Characterizing Ecosystems

 A Few Examples Rarity, Ecosystem Perspective, History, Diversity, Dynamics, dimensionality

Vegetation Change in Natural and Managed Forests Rarity, Ecosystem, History, Diversity, Dynamics

Carbon Storage in Douglas-fir forests varies with succession

Late Summer Water Yield from Forested Basin Vary with Disturbance and Forest Succession In Western Cascades Based on Jones, Unpublished Time since stand replacement disturbance (yrs) Fire/Clear Cut Low High Water Yield Dense canopy with hardwoods Old-growth with canopy gaps

Salmonid Habitat Quality Varies with Time Since Previous Debris Flow 0 to 30 yrs 30 to 60 yrs 60 to 90 yrs > 90 yrs Habitat Quality: Low High G. Reeves

< > 200 Stand Age Three Centuries Of Simulated Pre-Columbian Fire History in Oregon Coast Range By Nonaka Wimberly and Spies

 % Old Growth Years Before Present a)Province Scale (2,250,000 ha) b) National Forest Scale (302,500 ha) c) Reserve Scale (40,000 ha) Scale effects

Management and Ownership Effects

 Distribution of Ecological Conditions in the Oregon Coast Range

Vegetation Conditions Oregon Coast Range 1996 Not Simulated Open Forest Broadleaf Mixed Small Mixed Medium Mixed Large Mixed Very Large Conifer Small Conifer Medium Conifer Large Conifer Very Large Mixed Very Small Conifer Very Small Remnants

Projected 2046 Not Simulated Open Forest Broadleaf Mixed Small Mixed Medium Mixed Large Mixed Very Large Conifer Small Conifer Medium Conifer Large Conifer Very Large Mixed Very Small Conifer Very Small Remnants

2096 Not Simulated Open Forest Broadleaf Mixed Small Mixed Medium Mixed Large Mixed Very Large Conifer Small Conifer Medium Conifer Large Conifer Very Large Mixed Very Small Conifer Very Small Remnants

Ecosystem Services Under Different Scenarios

Tradeoffs Among Ecosystem Values Carbon Sequestration Water Yield Fire Resilient Vegetation Spotted Owl Populations

  Ecologist implicitly value certain ecosystem characteristics  Both instrumental and intrinsic values  Difficult to reduce the diversity and high dimensionality of ecosystems into a few components  Tradeoffs among services are common  Spatial and temporal variability is key to maintaining ecosystem functions and services Conclusions