TY - JOUR

T1 - The flows of nature to people, and of people to nature: applying movement concepts to ecosystem services

AU - Dolan, Rachel

AU - Bullock, James

AU - Jones, J.P.G.

AU - Athanasiadis, Ioannis

AU - Martinez-Lopez, Javier

AU - Willcock, Simon

PY - 2021/5/29

Y1 - 2021/5/29

N2 - To date, ecosystem service provision has largely been estimated from spatial patterns of land cover alone using benefit transfer analysis. While it is increasingly recognised that the distribution of human population affects whether a potential service translates into a realised service, this misses key steps in the process and assumes that everyone accesses ecosystem services in the same way. Here we describe a conceptual approach to ecosystem services in terms of movement and flows. We highlight that ecosystem service flow can be broken down into ‘nature to people’ (the movement of nature towards beneficiaries) and ’people to nature’ (the movement of beneficiaries to nature). The former is relatively well described. Here, we explore the latter by reviewing research on human migration, animal foraging and landscape connectivity. We assess if and how existing theories might be useful in describing how people seek out ecosystem services. We consider some of the ways in which flows of people to nature can be measured. Such measurements may reveal which movement theories best represent how people seek out and access ecosystem services. Overall, our review aims to improve future modelling of ecosystem services by more explicitly considering how people access potential services and therefore realise them.

AB - To date, ecosystem service provision has largely been estimated from spatial patterns of land cover alone using benefit transfer analysis. While it is increasingly recognised that the distribution of human population affects whether a potential service translates into a realised service, this misses key steps in the process and assumes that everyone accesses ecosystem services in the same way. Here we describe a conceptual approach to ecosystem services in terms of movement and flows. We highlight that ecosystem service flow can be broken down into ‘nature to people’ (the movement of nature towards beneficiaries) and ’people to nature’ (the movement of beneficiaries to nature). The former is relatively well described. Here, we explore the latter by reviewing research on human migration, animal foraging and landscape connectivity. We assess if and how existing theories might be useful in describing how people seek out ecosystem services. We consider some of the ways in which flows of people to nature can be measured. Such measurements may reveal which movement theories best represent how people seek out and access ecosystem services. Overall, our review aims to improve future modelling of ecosystem services by more explicitly considering how people access potential services and therefore realise them.

KW - Access

KW - Connectivity

KW - ecosystem service

KW - foraging

KW - migration

KW - Movement

KW - potential

KW - Realised

KW - use

U2 - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/6/576#

DO - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/6/576#

M3 - Article

VL - 10

JO - Land

JF - Land

SN - 2073-445X

IS - 6

M1 - 576

ER -