Stocks and flows of natural and human-derived capital in ecosystem services

Jones, L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4379-9006; Norton, L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1622-0281; Austin, Z.; Browne, A.L.; Donovan, D.; Emmett, B.A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2713-4389; Grabowski, Z.J.; Howard, D.C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4494-7450; Jones, J.P.G.; Kenter, J.O.; Manley, W.; Morris, C.; Robinson, D.A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7290-4867; Short, C.; Siriwardena, G.M.; Stevens, C.J.; Storkey, J.; Waters, R.D.; Willis, G.F.. 2016 Stocks and flows of natural and human-derived capital in ecosystem services. Land Use Policy, 52. 151-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.12.014

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Abstract/Summary

There is growing interest in the role that natural capital plays in underpinning ecosystem services. Yet, there remain differences and inconsistencies in the conceptualisation of capital and ecosystem services and the role that humans play in their delivery. Using worked examples in a stocks and flows systems approach, we show that both natural capital (NC) and human-derived (produced, human, social, cultural, financial) capital (HDC) are necessary to create ecosystem services at many levels. HDC plays a role at three stages of ecosystem service delivery. Firstly, as essential elements of a combined social-ecological system to create a potential ecosystem service. Secondly, through the beneficiaries in shaping the demand for that service. Thirdly, in the form of additional capital required to realise the ecosystem service flow. We show that it is possible, although not always easy, to separately identify how these forms of capital contribute to ecosystem service flow. We discuss how applying a systems approach can help identify critical natural capital and critical human-derived capital to guide sustainable management of the stocks and flows of all forms of capital which underpin provision of multiple ecosystem services. The amount of realised ecosystem service can be managed in several ways: via the NC & HDC which govern the potential service, and via factors which govern both the demand from the beneficiaries, and the efficiency of use of the potential service by those beneficiaries.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.12.014
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Emmett Parr Shore
ISSN:	0264-8377
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	natural capital, human capital, scale, sustainable, beneficiaries, potential service
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	18 Jan 2016 15:10 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512544

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