Linking evidence and operation in ecosystem service-based decision support tools

有一个越来越多的要求，从政策，保护和敏感的管理，我们的景观不应局限于指定的地区，其保护价值，但应扩大到更广泛的景观以及。此外，社会亦日益期望发展及基建项目的进行方式，不仅应尽量减少对环境的影响，而且应尽可能改善整体景观，并提升我们从中获得的利益及服务，例如防洪、提供清洁食水、碳储存及康乐活动。因此，那些负责管理大面积景观的组织和企业需要适当的信息来帮助他们实现这些目标。越来越多的证据表明，景观管理如何影响景观效益和服务。这一证据有助于为各种计算机模型的开发提供信息，这些模型可用于量化特定景观提供的不同服务，并预测景观变化对这些服务的可能影响。然而，这些模型中的许多都是以研究为重点的，需要专业知识来操作和解释，并且一般用户无法访问。在这个项目中，使用两个现有的生态系统服务决策支持模型作为测试平台的方法，我们将开发一个基于网络的工具，使用户的模型来检查和评估的证据基础模型的预测。这一证据工具将使用一种在其他应用领域（包括工程和运输安全）已作为行业标准确立的程序，但以前从未在环境管理中应用过。该工具将使这些生态系统服务模型的用户能够首次了解和跟踪支持模型预测的证据。这一证据工具有可能在能源、水和运输、建筑业以及自然保护等广泛部门得到应用。我们在该项目中的正式合作伙伴团队证明了这一点，包括行业监管机构，能源供应公司，建筑公司，景观管理合作伙伴关系和野生动物信托基金，以及Defra，威尔士政府，威尔士自然资源和自然英格兰。

There is an increasing demand from policy that conservation and sensitive management of our landscape should not be restricted to areas designated for their conservation value, but should extend to the broader landscape as well. There is also an increasing expectation from society that development and infrastructure projects should be undertaken in such a way that not only minimises their environmental impact but where possible enhances the wider landscape and the benefits and services that we obtain from it, such as flood prevention, the provision of clean water, carbon storage and recreation. Those organisations and businesses responsible for managing large areas of the landscape therefore need the appropriate information to help them achieve these goals.There is an increasing body of evidence concerning how landscape management affects landscape benefits and services. This evidence has helped to inform the development of a wide range of computer models that can be used to quantify the different services that a particular landscape provides, and to predict the likely impacts of landscape change on these services. However, many of these models are heavily research-focused, require specialist knowledge to operate and interpret, and are not accessible to general users. In this project, using two existing ecosystem service decision-support models as test-beds for the approach, we will develop a web-based tool that will allow users of the models to examine and evaluate the evidence base underlying the predictions of the models. This evidence tool will use a process that is well-established as industry standard in other areas of application, including engineering and transport safety, but has not previously been applied in environmental management. The tool will allow users of these ecosystem service models to understand and track the evidence underpinning model predictions for the first time. There are potential applications of this evidence tool across a wide range of sectors, including energy, water and transport, and the construction industry, as well as for nature conservation. Our group of formal partners in the project attests to this, and includes an industry regulator, an energy supply company, a construction firm, a landscape management partnership and a Wildlife Trust, as well as Defra, the Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales and Natural England.