
An ecosystem approach
Adopting an ecosystem approach can help to secure benefits from nature for future generations.
Adopting an ecosystem approach can help to secure benefits from nature for future generations.
Nature provides us with natural resources, raw materials and benefits such as insect pollination, soil formation, and improvement of our health and well-being. Most of us appreciate these benefits, or ecosystem services, and we can map their contributions to our economy. People are also part of ecosystems.
Following an ecosystem approach means understanding these connections, and taking account of ecosystem services in how we manage land, freshwater and sea. The Convention on Biological Diversity’s definition of the ecosystem approach is: “a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way.” This approach should be applied to all plans, policies and management that may affect, or benefit from, the natural environment.
The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy applies an ecosystem approach to meeting biodiversity targets in the 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity.
An ecosystem approach can help to:
To apply an ecosystem approach, we must first identify the benefits and where they come from. Then we must understand how different planning or resource-use choices will affect these ecosystem services. Involving people in decision-making and in getting things done is vital.
Case studies can highlight some of the advantages and challenges of applying an ecosystem approach