Data and Modeling Paper

Resource managers face increasingly complex decisions as they attempt to manage for the long-term sustainability and the health of natural resources. Incorporating ecosystem services into decision processes provides a means for increasing public engagement and generating more transparent consideration of tradeoffs that may help to garner participation and buy-in from communities and avoid unintended consequences. A 2015 White House memorandum from the Council on Environmental Quality, Office of Management and Budget, and Office of Science Technology and Policy acknowledged these benefits and asked all federal agencies to incorporate ecosystem services into their decision making.

This working paper describes the ecological and social data and models available for quantifying the production and value of many ecosystem services across the United States. To achieve nationwide inclusion of ecosystem services, federal agencies will need to continue to build out and provide support for this essential informational infrastructure.


Tables

Table 2-1: Ecological data and models for ecosystem services assessments of terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity Table 3-4: Data and models for assessment of ecosystem services that regulate coastal inundation and storm surges
Table 2-2: Ecological data and models for ecosystem services assessments of land use and land cover change Table 4-1: Sociodemographic data for ecosystem services assessments
Table 2-3: Ecological data and models for ecosystem services assessments of freshwater supply Table 4-2: Benefit transfer data and models for wildlife
Table 2-4: Ecological data and models for ecosystem services assessments of water quality Table 4-3: Use and benefit transfer data and models for recreational use of species natural communities and biodiversity
Table 2-5: Ecological data and models for assessments of ecosystem services in marine and coastal systems Table 4-4: Use and benefit transfer data for assessment of ecosystem services related to forest-based recreation
Table 2-6: Ecological data and models for assessments of ecosystem services in cities and urban areas Table 4-5: Use data for water supply in ecosystem services assessments
Table 3-1: Data and models for assessment of ecosystem services that regulate and reduce climate risk Table 4-6: Use data and models for urban social preference and value in ecosystem services assessments
Table 3-2: Data and models for regulation and reduction of wildfire risk Table-4-7: Models for economic valuation of climate stability risk regulation
Table 3-3: Data and models for assessment of ecosystem services that regulate and reduce flooding risk &nbsp
*Citation: Lydia Olander, Gregory W. Characklis, Patrick Comer, Micah Effron, John Gunn, Tom Holmes, Robert Johnston, James Kagan, William Lehman, John Loomis, Timon McPhearson, Anne Neale, Lauren Patterson, Leslie Richardson, Martin Ross, David Saah, Samantha Sifleet, Keith Stockmann, Dean Urban, Lisa Wainger, Robert Winthrop, and David Yoskowitz. 2016. “Data and Modeling Infrastructure for National Integration of Ecosystem Services into Decision Making: Expert Summaries.” NESP WP 16-02. Durham: National Ecosystem Services Partnership. www.nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/publications.