Title | Ecosystem services reinforce Sumatran tiger conservation in land use plans |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2014 |
Authors | Bhagabati, NK, Ricketts, TH, Siswa Sulistyawan, TB, Conte, M, Ennaanay, D, Hadian, O, McKenzie, E, Olwero, N, Rosenthal, A, Tallis, H, Wolny, S |
Journal | Biological Conservation |
Volume | 169 |
Start Page | 147 |
Pagination | 147 - 156 |
Date Published | 2014/01 |
ISSN | 00063207 |
Keywords | ecosystem services, Indonesia, Land use scenarios, Spatial planning, Sumatra, Sumatran tiger |
Abstract | Ecosystem services have clear promise to help identify and protect priority areas for biodiversity. To leverage them effectively, practitioners must conduct timely analyses at appropriate scales, often with limited data. Here we use simple spatial analyses on readily available datasets to compare the distribution of five ecosystem services with tiger habitat in central Sumatra. We assessed services and habitat in 2008 and the changes in these variables under two future scenarios: a conservation-friendly Green Vision, and a Spatial Plan developed by the Indonesian government. In 2008, the range of tiger habitat overlapped substantially with areas of high carbon storage and sediment retention, but less with areas of high water yield and nutrient retention. Depending on service, location and spatial grain of analysis, there were both gains and losses from 2008 to each scenario; however, aggregate provision of each ecosystem service (except water yield) and total area of tiger habitat were higher in the Vision than the Plan, likely driven by an increase in forest cover in the Vision. Sub-watersheds with high levels of several ecosystem services contained substantially more tiger habitat than random subsets of sub-watersheds, suggesting that prioritizing ecosystem services could benefit tiger conservation. Our analyses provided input to government-led spatial planning and strategic environmental assessments in the study area, indicating that even under time and data constraints, policy-relevant assessments of multiple ecosystem services are feasible. |
URL | http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0006320713003893 |
DOI | 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.11.010 |
Short Title | Biological Conservation |
Refereed Designation | Refereed |
Ecosystem services reinforce Sumatran tiger conservation in land use plans
Status:
Published
Attributable Grant:
RACC
Grant Year:
Year3 (notified as published after reporting year submission to NSF) PublishedAfter
Acknowledged VT EPSCoR:
Ack-No