A Quantitative Review of Urban Ecosystem Service Assessments: Concepts, Models, and Implementation (original) (raw)

Although a number of comprehensive reviews have examined global ecosystem services (ES), few have focused on studies that assess urban ecosystem services (UES). Given that more than half of the world's population lives in cities, understanding the dualism of the provision of and need for UES is of critical importance. Which UES are the focus of research, and what types of urban land use are examined? Are models or decision support systems used to assess the provision of UES? Are trade-offs considered? Do studies of UES engage stakeholders? To address these questions, we analyzed 217 papers derived from an ISI Web of Knowledge search using a set of standardized criteria. The results indicate that most UES studies have been undertaken in Europe, North America, and China, at city scale. Assessment methods involve biophysical models, Geographical Information Systems, and valuation, but few study findings have been implemented as land use policy. Ó The Author(s) 2014. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com www.kva.se/en Is a model used for the quantification of ES demand? Are synergies considered? Yes, no, not applicable What is/are the specific ES analyzed? Food, raw materials, fresh water, medicinal resources, local climate and air quality regulation, carbon sequestration and storage, moderation of extreme events, waste water treatment, erosion prevention and maintenance of soil fertility, pollination, biological (pest) control, habitat for species, maintenance of genetic diversity, biodiversity, recreational and mental and physical health, tourism, esthetic appreciation and inspiration for culture, art and design, spiritual experience and sense of place, other, not applicable Which indicator(s) are used? Indicator and unit (e.g., carbon storage in MgCO 3 ) Does the paper deal with ES potential or demand and provisioning? Potential, demand and provision, demand, not applicable What scale is used? City region, city, neighborhood, site, not applicable Which SPUs is the paper dealing with? Forests, urban agriculture, urban parks, waterways/lakes, cemeteries, urban fabric, allotments, rural surroundings, infrastructure, brownfields, land use mixture, urban-rural gradient, green infrastructure, other, not applicable What is the temporal scale? One time step, time series analysis, not applicable What is the relation between demand and provisioning? Local, regional, distal (teleconnections), not applicable What kind of valuation methods/indicators is applied? Monetary, non-monetary, both, not applicable What type of model is used for the quantification of ES supply/provisioning? What type of model is used for the quantification of ES demand? Bio-physical, GIS-based, statistical, qualitative, causal loop, look-up table, willingness-to-pay, survey, interview, conjoint analysis, prize, trading, REDD, risk assessment, empirical, other, not applicable Are trade-offs considered? No, between ES, between land use and ES, between ES and quality of life, between ES and economy, other, not applicable Are stakeholders involved within the assessment?