Ecosystem services and well-being

Our core capabilities

The environment provides a range of benefits to society, many of which are unaccounted for in decision-making. Such ecosystems services provide food fuel and fibre (provisioning services), help regulate the climate or purify water (regulating services), or provide well-being through the amenity of landscapes and biodiversity (cultural benefits). As the degradation of ecosystem services increases, the critical role that they play in human well-being has become apparent, and such concerns have led to an increasingly central role for ecosystems research and policy. Our research focuses on the value of such provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services to society, how that value is altered by decisions, and then distributed between stakeholders.  

The Centre for Environmental Risks and Futures with its diverse range of staff expertise is ideally placed to undertake the multi-disciplinary research that is needed to advance ecosystem services research.  Drawing on our own expertise as well as the expertise of colleagues within the University, we use biophysical modelling, soil science, hydrology, geographical information systems, life cycle assessment, environmental economics and social sciences to inform decision-making and policy.  Examples of how we use our core capabilities include:

  • Developing strategic tools for Defra's chief scientist to enable the assessment of national risks, using an ecosystem services approach 
  • Applying biophysical modelling, life cycle assessment, soil science, and hydrology to quantify and understand how ecosystem services flows are delivered in time and space
  • Applying future scenarios to understand the implications of decision making for long-term delivery of ecosystem services
  • Assessing the implications of ecosystem tradeoffs through economic valuation and environmental economics
  • Applying the social sciences and stakeholder analysis to understand how and why ecosystem services are distributed as they are amongst different groups and individuals in society

 

 

Staff expertise 

  • Dr Anil Graves: economics of ecosystem services and land use policy, stakeholder analysis.
  • Prof Joe Morris: Professor emeritus; environmental and natural resource economics, stakeholder analysis.
  • Dr Andrew Angus: environmental and natural resource economics.
  • Dr Paul Burgess: farm woodlands and well-being.
  • Dr Humberto Perotto-Baldivieso: landscape ecology, natural hazards, biodiversity, connectivity.
  • Eric Audsley: operational research, agricultural systems modelling, linear programming (LP), life cycle assessment (LCA), land use prediction.
  • Dr Monica Rivas Casado: geostatistics.
  • Dr George Prpich: strategic risk assessment, environmental indicators, environmental, social and economic impacts, risk communication.
  • Dr Adrian Williams: LCA, greenhouse gases, GHG, agriculture, food, environment, systems, analysis, carbon footprint.
  • Julia Chatterton: mathematical modelling, agriculture, environment, uncertainty, land use/change, food, systems analysis, life cycle assessment.

 

 

Defining projects

The total cost of soil degradation in England & Wales: 2010 - ongoing

Anil Graves, Joe Morris

This project will estimate the total economic cost of soil degradation in England and Wales (Defra). 

 

Strategic risk appraisal of Defra’s national risks: 2008 - ongoing

George Prpich, Simon Pollard

Developed a framework to allow the strategic assessment of Defra’s national-scale risks (including flooding, GMOs, animal disease and approx 20 others) using an ecosystem services approach. The tool has now been presented to Defra’s Permanent Secretary, and is expected to be used in future management meetings to prioritise resources.

 

Economic and environmental impacts of livestock production in the UK: 2008 - 2011

Anil Graves, Joe Morris, Eric Audsley, Julia Chatterton

This project assessed the economic, social and environmental performance of livestock production in the UK, particularly with respect to UK government objectives for the sector (Defra).

 

UK National Ecosystem Assessment: 2010 - 2011

Joe Morris

Economic appraisal of freshwater ecosystems (Defra/UNEP).

 

The impact of lowland peatland restoration on food production: 2010 - 2010

Anil Graves, Andrew Angus, Joe Morris

This project assessed the contribution of peatlands to UK food security (Natural England). 

 

Valuation of natural resources scoping study: 2008 - 2010

Joe Morris, Anil Graves, Julia Chatterton, Andrew Angus

This was a “state of the science” review of the application of environmental valuation to natural resources and ecosystem services (NERC).

 

Energyscapes and ecosystem services: 2009 - ongoing

Paul Burgess, Monica Rivas Casado

Focuses on the interaction between renewable energy, food production, carbon sequestration and habitat provision within Bedfordshire (ESRC).