"Exploring Ecosystem Services in Europe", seminar by Antonio J. Castro at the Institute for Environmental Studies of the University of Amsterdam

On July 2nd, the researcher Antonio J. Castro (CAESCG) will give a seminar entitled "Exploring Ecosystem Services in Europe" at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) of the University of Amsterdam. This talk aims to disseminate the results obtained after the research carried out during the 4-month stay that, since last April, Antonio is doing in collaboration with Dr. Peter Verburg, Director of the Department of Spatial Analyst and Decision Support (SPACE) and scientific leader of the Amsterdam Global Change Institute (AGCI).

The objective of the study has been to explore the trade-offs and synergies established between the different dimensions in which the services provided by ecosystems can be valued. More specifically, and taking as a case study the semi-arid ecosystems of the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, the study first quantified the supply of some services provided by semi-arid ecosystems (biophysical dimension of valuation) such as carbon stocks, water supply through aquifer recharge or agricultural production associated with greenhouses, and then evaluated both the social perception of how important these services are (social dimension of valuation) and the willingness to pay that society has for their conservation (economic dimension of valuation).

The research carried out during this stay, approved by the University of Almeria's Plan Proper, will be sent as an article "Exploring trade-offs between social, biophysical and monetary dimension of ecosystem services" to Ecological Indicators, one of the most prestigious international journals in ecology. This stay also aims to complete the researcher's training and increase collaboration between European institutions dedicated to research on the effects of Global Change.

Bibliography:

Castro, A.J., Martin-López, B., García-Llorente, M., Aguilera, P.A., López, E, Cabello, J. 2011. Social preferences regarding the delivery of ecosystem services in a semiarid Mediterranean región. Journal of Arid Environments, 75: 1201-1208.

Garcia-Llorente, M., Martín-López, B., Iniesta-Arandia, I., López-Santiago, C.A., Aguilera, P.A., Montes, C. 2012. The role of multi-functionality in social preferences toward semi-arid rural landscapes: An ecosystem service approach. Environmental Science & Policy 19-20: 136-146.

Event website:

http://www.ivm.vu.nl/en/news-and-agenda/events/index/Nynke_Schulp.asp

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