Spatial prioritisation for conserving ecosystem services: comparing hotspots with heuristic optimisation.

ABSTRACT:

Context

The variation in spatial distribution between ecosystem services can be high. Hence, there is a need to spatially identify important sites for conservation planning. The term 'ecosystem service hotspot' has often been used for this purpose, but definitions of this term are ambiguous.

Objectives

We review and classify methods to spatially delineate hotspots. We test how spatial configuration of hotspots for a set of ecosystem services differs depending on the applied method. We compare the outcomes to a heuristic site prioritisation approach (Marxan).

Methods

The four tested hotspot methods are top richest cells, spatial clustering, intensity, and richness. In a conservation scenario we set a target of conserving 10 % of the quantity of five regulating and cult

SUBMITTER: Schroter M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4722056 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature