Targeting the management of ecosystem services based on social values: where, what, and how?

Whilst biophysical and economic values are often included in spatial planning for conservation and environmental management, social values are rarely considered. This study demonstrates a method for targeting the management of ecosystem services based on social values within the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin region, Australia. A total of 56 community representatives were interviewed and their values for ecosystem services were elicited and mapped. Spatial indicators of abundance, diversity, rarity, and risk were adapted from ecological science and applied to the mapped social values for ecosystem services. Those areas with the highest social value abundance, diversity, rarity, and risk scores were defined as priority areas for the management of ecosystem services. Four hotspots were located in overlapping areas of high priority for multiple spatial indicators. The ecosystem services contributing to high abundance, diversity, rarity, and risk were identified for management in these focal areas. Community suggestions for managing specific ecosystem services in focal areas were collated and synthesized. The results of this study enable the targeting of management of ecosystem service values in the landscape by identifying where high priority management areas are, specifying what services should be managed, and summarizing how they should be managed. This information can complement biophysical and economic information in systematic landscape planning studies.