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Challenges and Rewards of Trans-Disciplinary Collaboration To Sustain Ecosystem Services Christine Feurt Ph.D. Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve & University of New England
Multidisciplinarity draws on knowledge from different disciplines but stays within their boundaries. Interdisciplinarity analyzes, synthesizes and harmonizes links between disciplines into a coordinated and coherent whole. Transdisciplinarity integrates the natural and social sciences and the humanities and transcends their traditional boundaries with the possibility of producing new perspectives.
Manfredo et al, 2014. Understanding Society and Natural Resources, Forging New Strands of Integration Across the Social Sciences. Available open access from Springer
Beyond Disciplines
Challenge…
Use Ecosystem Service Valuation to model a new paradigm of research in the NERRS that integrates
ecological and social sciences within an Ecosystem-based Management framework
Applying Social Science Tools
Moving Knowledge to Action
Using knowledge of ecosystem service values and tradeoffs to inform decision making to sustain what people care about
Stakeholder Analysis
PRODUCTS OF SCIENCE Data/Models
Ecosystem Assessments Choice Experiments
Ecosystem Service Valuation
POLICY
AND MANAGEMENT Actions to sustain &
restore Riparian Buffer
Ecosystem services
Perceptual Barriers
Disciplinary Barriers
Institutional Barriers
Institutional Analysis
Cultural Analysis
Collaborative Learning
(Feurt, 2007)
Community-based Ecosystem Management Theory, Principles and Practices for sustaining ecosystems and the communities dependent upon them (Meffe et al., 2002)
1. Sustainable: An approach to maintaining or restoring natural and
modified ecosystems to sustain the provision of benefits and services that people want and need (ecosystem services).
2. Place-based: Make the places we live, work and play noticeably better today and in the future.
3. Holistic: Based upon a collaboratively developed vision of desired future outcomes that integrates ecological, social, and economic perspectives.
The Stakeholder Network working to sustain Riparian Buffers in the Little River Watershed Maine Geological Survey Maine Coastal Program Maine Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Maine Sea Grant Maine Drinking Water Program Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Maine Department of Environmental Protection Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission Mt A to the Sea Conservation Initiative Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge University of New England Laudholm Trust Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership Town of Wells, Planning Department Town of Sanford, Planning Department Town of Kennebunk Planning Department
The Kaleidoscope of Expertise
Engaged in sustaining ecosystem services
Regulations, Ordinances & Enforcement
Engineering Public Works
and Wastewater
Planning & Land Use
Management
Citizen & Business
Watershed Stewardship
Education & Community Outreach
Science: Water Research & Monitoring
Drinking/Source Water Protection
Land Conservation
(Feurt, 2007)
Challenge… Responding to a locally articulated need to make a stronger case for natural resource protection based upon economic as well as ecological arguments (2009) What does an economic argument sound like? “...in the long run, the economics of natural resources and the environment is as important to our well-being as the economics of money and banking…”
Robert Solow – Nobel Prize Economist
Preconceived notions about “economics”
are often wrong An economic benefit or value is something that makes at
least one person better off. Values are provided by ecosystem services (non-market). Money transactions are not required for economic values. A large proportion of the benefit from environmental policy
is in the form of non-market value.
Economic valuation of ecosystem services
quantifies the human benefit or value provided by natural systems.
Ecosystem Service Values and Tradeoffs for Riparian Buffers in the Little River Watershed:
A Choice Experiment Dr. Robert J. Johnston Director, George Perkins Marsh Institute Professor, Department of Economics Clark University
Choices for Our Land and Water Quantifying Non-Market Values through a Choice Experiment
What do 1,000 + residents of Sanford, Wells and Kennebunk, Maine think about riparian buffers and
what choices are they willing to make to protect them?
Describing the Situation
The Survey
• 3816 surveys mailed to randomly selected residents of Kennebunk, Sanford and Wells. – Sampled all residents of the Little River
Watershed.
• Out of 3472 deliverable surveys, 1126 were returned for a response rate of 32.4%.
Example Choice Question
Illustrative Scenario Attribute No Change
Option A
Option B
Land Condition 85% 90% 95% River Condition 55% 60% 65% Recreational Fish 55% 65% 65% Swim Safety 85% 85% 88% Setbacks 100 150 100 Enforcement No Change Increased Increased Cost per Year $0 $25 $45
Predicted Vote 22% 48% 30%
Survey Summary and Conclusions 1. There is considerable support and value for restoration and
protection of buffers.
2. Most residents support greater development restrictions and more enforcement to obtain improvements in land and water.
3. Results can be used to predict the types of programs that residents would support most strongly.
4. Findings challenge common preconceptions.
Rewards are just beginning… Increasing the impact of NERRS science with targeted communication, restoration projects and collaborative
research designed to support stakeholder’s work protecting the things people care about and value
Developing competencies and best practices for the new research paradigm in the NERRS
Trainings Developed
Working Together to Get Things Done 9 trainings delivered nationwide to NERRS 2012-2013 Qualitative Research Methods Course Webinar Delivered Winter 2013 Mental Modeling to Improve Communication of Science Course Webinar under development Fall 2014 Bridging the Gulfs Two-day training: Maine September 2014 Texas January 2015
Panel and Audience Dialogue
Barriers and bridges to
ecosystem service valuation for restoration practice and policy
28 National Estuarine Research Reserves Mission: To practice and promote coastal and estuarine stewardship through
innovative research and education, using a system of protected areas.
Challenges posed in NERRS Strategic Plan & Addressed through this Project
Develop, demonstrate, and evaluate tools and practices using Reserves as a living laboratory/platform for research in coastal management Characterize coastal watersheds and
estuary ecosystems and quantify ecosystem services to support ecosystem-based management of natural and built communities.
Challenges posed in NERRS Strategic Plan & Addressed through this Project
Lead collaborative projects that connect scientists with intended users from problem definition through implementation. Build reserve capacity to conduct and
use social science. Expand training for coastal decision
makers
Applying Social Science Tools
Moving Knowledge to Action
Using knowledge of ecosystem service values and tradeoffs to inform decision making to sustain what people care about
Stakeholder Analysis
PRODUCTS OF SCIENCE Data/Models
Ecosystem Assessments Choice Experiments
Ecosystem Service Valuation
POLICY
AND MANAGEMENT Actions to sustain &
restore Riparian Buffer
Ecosystem services
Perceptual Barriers
Disciplinary Barriers
Institutional Barriers
Institutional Analysis
Cultural Analysis
Collaborative Learning
(Feurt, 2007)
Salience, Credibility, Legitimacy and Boundaries: Linking Research, Assessment and Decision Making David Cash, William Clark, Frank Alcock, Nancy Dickson, Noelle Eckley, and Jill Jäger November 2002
http://ssrn.com/abstract_id=372280
Collaborative Research in the NERRS Facilitates Boundary Spanning
Moving knowledge to action requires information that is…
Credible – authoritative, believable, and trusted Salient - relevant to decision making bodies
or the public Legitimate – created through a process
viewed as “fair” and considerate of appropriate values, concerns, and perspectives of different actors
Cash et al, 2002
Reflections and the path ahead Responding to diverse user groups for research
findings: NOAA, NERRS, Maine Stakeholders, landowners
Survey response and “Watershed Moment” event “Translating” research results into usable elements
