Perceptions of the ecosystem services concept: Opportunities and challenges in the Swedish municipal context
(2016) In Ecosystem Services 17. p.123-130- Abstract
- A current focus of ecosystem services (ES) implementation is on the municipal level of government where international and national legislation and policies have to be translated into practice. Given this focus, an understanding of perceptions within municipalities of the ES concept is crucial to support the implementation process. Against this background, this paper examines the perceptions of Swedish municipal stakeholders for the ES concept. A 2013 Swedish federal mandate that states that the values of ecosystem services should be considered in relevant decision-making processes, provides a timely context. Current perceptions, preconditions and awareness are explored via interviews and analyses. The results show that the views on the... (More)
- A current focus of ecosystem services (ES) implementation is on the municipal level of government where international and national legislation and policies have to be translated into practice. Given this focus, an understanding of perceptions within municipalities of the ES concept is crucial to support the implementation process. Against this background, this paper examines the perceptions of Swedish municipal stakeholders for the ES concept. A 2013 Swedish federal mandate that states that the values of ecosystem services should be considered in relevant decision-making processes, provides a timely context. Current perceptions, preconditions and awareness are explored via interviews and analyses. The results show that the views on the ecosystem services concept and its usefulness are generally very positive. Conceptual knowledge use is perceived as important as is the recognition of monetary valuation of ES. However, clarification of the distinction between implicit and explicit use of the concept by stakeholders is needed. Finally, results indicate that a deeper understanding of monetary valuation of ecosystem services by municipal staff members is connected with a more critical view on monetary valuation. It is concluded that detailed and clear definitions and guidelines are needed in order to support the process of implementing ES in municipalities. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/f9305cfa-013f-478c-bb2c-b5dcb505497e
- author
- Beery, Thomas ; Stålhammar, Sanna LU ; Jönsson, K. Ingemar ; Wamsler, Christine LU ; Bramryd, Torleif LU ; Brink, Ebba LU ; Ekelund, Nils ; Johansson, Michael LU ; Palo, Thomas and Schubert, Per LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2016
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Anthropocentrism, ecosystem services, Ecosystem services concept, Knowledge use, Monetary valuation, Municipal decision-making, Values of nature
- in
- Ecosystem Services
- volume
- 17
- pages
- 8 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84952046810
- wos:000370641300015
- ISSN
- 2212-0416
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ecoser.2015.12.002
- project
- Urban ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- f9305cfa-013f-478c-bb2c-b5dcb505497e
- date added to LUP
- 2016-05-11 14:52:05
- date last changed
- 2022-12-21 18:43:00
@article{f9305cfa-013f-478c-bb2c-b5dcb505497e, abstract = {{A current focus of ecosystem services (ES) implementation is on the municipal level of government where international and national legislation and policies have to be translated into practice. Given this focus, an understanding of perceptions within municipalities of the ES concept is crucial to support the implementation process. Against this background, this paper examines the perceptions of Swedish municipal stakeholders for the ES concept. A 2013 Swedish federal mandate that states that the values of ecosystem services should be considered in relevant decision-making processes, provides a timely context. Current perceptions, preconditions and awareness are explored via interviews and analyses. The results show that the views on the ecosystem services concept and its usefulness are generally very positive. Conceptual knowledge use is perceived as important as is the recognition of monetary valuation of ES. However, clarification of the distinction between implicit and explicit use of the concept by stakeholders is needed. Finally, results indicate that a deeper understanding of monetary valuation of ecosystem services by municipal staff members is connected with a more critical view on monetary valuation. It is concluded that detailed and clear definitions and guidelines are needed in order to support the process of implementing ES in municipalities.}}, author = {{Beery, Thomas and Stålhammar, Sanna and Jönsson, K. Ingemar and Wamsler, Christine and Bramryd, Torleif and Brink, Ebba and Ekelund, Nils and Johansson, Michael and Palo, Thomas and Schubert, Per}}, issn = {{2212-0416}}, keywords = {{Anthropocentrism; ecosystem services; Ecosystem services concept; Knowledge use; Monetary valuation; Municipal decision-making; Values of nature}}, language = {{eng}}, pages = {{123--130}}, publisher = {{Elsevier}}, series = {{Ecosystem Services}}, title = {{Perceptions of the ecosystem services concept: Opportunities and challenges in the Swedish municipal context}}, url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/7644639/Beery_etal_PerceptionsoftheEcosystemServiceConcept_EcosystemServices.pdf}}, doi = {{10.1016/j.ecoser.2015.12.002}}, volume = {{17}}, year = {{2016}}, }