Sustaining ecosystem services in times of rapid change

Background/Question/Methods My talk will begin with a review of the ecosystem-service framework as provided by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, as well as an overview of the most compelling biome-specific challenges threatening ecosystems and their services. I will also review social, economic, and demographic changes, and what that will mean for likely demand for ecosystem services over the coming decades. I will also briefly review the resilience framework, including a focus on “specific resilience” (focused on resilience towards one or a few dominant perturbations) or “general resilience” (focused on resilience in the face of multiple unknown perturbations).

Results/Conclusions I will develop a list of “critical” ecosystem services—those services that are (or will be) highly valued by society, and whose delivery may be significantly degraded over the coming decades. Critical services will vary by biome, with both evolutionary and social history influencing those services deemed to be critical. I will review the ecological configurations that support these services, and develop recommendations to enhance both their specific and general resilience.