Linking Sustainable Agriculture, Equity and Ecosystem Services for Migratory Species

Abstract

Migratory species link ecosystems and people around the world. Their management and conservation require an approach integrating both ecological and socioeconomic dimensions to reveal these linkages across space. I demonstrate a framework built around the concept that migratory species act as carriers or agents, delivering ecosystem services to people throughout their annual cycle. The resulting benefit flows can be viewed as spatial economic subsidies from ecologically important habitat to socioeconomically important areas where migratory wildlife interact with people. Quantifying these benefit flows between source and delivery areas permits a more comprehensive understanding of the spatial distribution of benefits and costs associated with the conservation of migratory species across international borders. To illustrate my framework, I present case studies quantifying the spatial subsidies provided by migratory species. Management and policy scenarios are used to consider feedbacks within these linked socioeconomic and environmental systems over time.