Ecosystem Services and Sussex Wetlands Rob McInnes

1. Ecosystem Services and Sussex
Wetlands
Robert McInnes
Director
RM Wetlands & Environment Ltd
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

2. The bad news . . .
UK wetlands
 No completely pristine freshwater ecosystems remain in the
UK.
 Over 40% of all floodplains in England and Wales have been
separated from their river.
 Only 18.4% of all English SSSI rivers are in favourable
condition.
 Less than 14% of the original extent of the UK lowland raised
bog remains in a semi-natural condition.
 UK breeding populations of redshank, curlew and lapwing
continue to decline at rates in excess of 20%.
 Globally the position is even worse . . . .
From Maltby & Ormerod (2011)
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

3. The degradation and loss of wetlands
is more rapid than that for other
ecosystems
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

4. How are things in Sussex?
Protected wetlands in Sussex
Analysis of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
 There are 142 SSSIs in Sussex.
 Over 75% of all biological SSSIs support a wetland habitat.
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

5. How are things in Sussex?
Protected wetlands in Sussex
Analysis of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
5000
4500
4000
3500
Habitat area (ha)
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Wetland SSSIs habitat ≈ 8,120ha (38%) excluding neutral grassland and shrub heath
Approximately 2.2% of Sussex
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

6. How are things in Sussex?
Protected wetlands in Sussex
Analysis of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
100.0
87.6
90.0
80.0
Over 90% of
Condition (% habitat area)
70.0
60.0 wetland SSSIs
50.0 habitat is not in a
40.0 favourable state
30.0
20.0
8.5
10.0 3.3
- - 0.6
-
Destroyed Part Unfavourable Unfavourable Unfavourable Favourable
destroyed declining no change recovering
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

7. How are things in Sussex?
Protected wetlands in Sussex
Analysis of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
100.0 4000
80.0 3500
Condition (% area)
60.0 3000
40.0
2500
Condition (ha)
20.0
2000
0.0
Bogs - Fen, marsh Rivers and Standing 1500
lowland and swamp - streams open water
lowland and canals
1000
Destroyed Part destroyed
500
Unfavourable declining Unfavourable no change
Unfavourable recovering Favourable 0
Bogs - Fen, marsh Rivers and Standing
lowland and swamp - streams open water
lowland and canals
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

8. How are things in Sussex?
Protected wetlands in Sussex
Analysis of Ramsar Sites
 There are four Ramsar Sites in Sussex.
1. Arun Valley
2. Chichester and Langstone Harbour
3. Pagham Harbour
4. Pevensey Levels
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

9. How are things in Sussex?
Protected wetlands in Sussex
Analysis of Ramsar Sites
1
4
3
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

10. How are things in Sussex?
Protected wetlands in Sussex
Analysis of Ramsar Sites
Destroyed
4,000
Part destroyed
3,500 Unfavourable declining
3,000 Unfavourable no change
Unfavourable recovering
2,500
Area (ha)
Favourable
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
Broadleaved, Fen, marsh and Littoral sediment Neutral Standing open Supralittoral
mixed and yew swamp - lowland grassland - water and canals sediment
woodland - lowland
lowland
Over 84% of Ramsar site habitats are not in a favourable state
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

11. Ecosystems are critically important to
our well-being and economic
prosperity but . . .
are consistently undervalued in
conventional economic analyses and
decision-making
UK National Ecosystem Assessment (2011)
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

12. Ecosystem services
The benefits humans derive from the natural world
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) proposed a four-fold
classification of ecosystem services:
 Provisioning services
 Regulating services
 Cultural services
 Supporting services
Work has progressed through TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems
and Biodiversity) and nationally through the UK National
Ecosystem Assessment.
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

13. Ecosystem services
Wetlands deliver a disproportionate about of benefits
Costanza, et al. (1997)
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

14. Ecosystem services
The benefits humans derive from the natural world
Food for humans Sustenance for humans (e.g. fish, molluscs)
Drinking water for humans and/or livestock
Water for irrigated agriculture
Fresh water
Water for industry
Water for energy production (hydro-electricity)
Timber
Fuel wood
Peat
Provisioning Services Wetland products non-food products
Livestock fodder
Reeds and fibre
Other
Biochemical products Extraction of material from biota
Medicinal products
Genes for tolerance to certain conditions (e.g. salinity)
Genetic materials
Genes for resistance to plant pathogens
Ornamental species (live and dead)
Groundwater recharge and discharge
Maintenance of hydrological regimes
Storage and delivery of water for agriculture and industry
Erosion protection Soil, sediment and nutrient retention
Pollution control and detoxification Water purification/waste treatment or dilution
Local climate regulation/ buffering of change
Regulating Services Climate regulation
Regulation of climactic processes
Biological control of pests and disease Support of predators of agricultural pests
Flood control, flood storage
Hazard reduction
Coastal shoreline and river bank stabilization and storm protection
Pollination Acts a source for pollination of other areas
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

15. Ecosystem services
The benefits humans derive from the natural world
Recreational hunting and fishing
Water sports and activities
Recreation and tourism
Picnics, outings, touring
Nature observation and nature-based tourism
Inspiration
Cultural heritage
Spiritual and inspirational Contemporary cultural significance
Cultural Services Spiritual and religious values
Aesthetic and “sense of place” values
Educational activities and opportunities
Important knowledge systems, and importance for research
Scientific and educational Long-term monitoring site
Major scientific study site
‘Type location’ for a taxon
Biodiversity Supports a variety of all life forms
Sediment retention
Soil formation
Accumulation of organic matter
Supporting Services
Storage, recycling, processing and acquisition of nutrients
Nutrient cycling
Carbon storage/ sequestration
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

16. Ecosystem services
Ecosystem services and Ramsar sites in Sussex
Methodology
Recognised
{  Reviewed Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)
 Listed ecosystem services
 Explicit recognition
 Key word searched
Unrecognised
{ 



Interpreted language
SSSI information
Peer-reviewed and grey literature
GoogleEarth review
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

17. Ecosystem services
Ecosystem services and Ramsar sites in Sussex
Sustenance for humans (e.g. fish, molluscs)
Provisioning Services
Drinking water for humans and/or livestock
Water for irrigated agriculture
Pevensey Levels
Water for industry
Arun Valley
Water for energy production (hydro-electricity)
Pagham Harbour Timber
Fuel wood
Chichester & Langstone Harbour
Peat
Unrecognised
Livestock fodder
Reeds and fibre
Pevensey Levels
Other
Arun Valley
Extraction of material from biota
Pagham Harbour Medicinal products
Genes for tolerance to certain conditions (e.g. salinity)
Chichester & Langstone Harbour
Genes for resistance to plant pathogens
Recognised
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 Ornamental species (live and dead)
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

18. Ecosystem services
Ecosystem services and Ramsar sites in Sussex
Regulating Services
Groundwater recharge and discharge
Pevensey Levels Storage and delivery of water for agriculture and
industry
Arun Valley Soil, sediment and nutrient retention
Pagham Harbour Water purification/waste treatment or dilution
Chichester & Langstone Harbour Local climate regulation/ buffering of change
Unrecognised Regulation of climactic processes
Pevensey Levels Support of predators of agricultural pests
Arun Valley Flood control, flood storage
Pagham Harbour Coastal shoreline and river bank stabilization and
storm protection
Chichester & Langstone Harbour Acts a a source for pollination of other areas
Recognised 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

19. Ecosystem services
Ecosystem services and Ramsar sites in Sussex
Cultural Services
Recreational hunting and fishing
Pevensey Levels Water sports and activities
Arun Valley Picnics, outings, touring
Nature observation and nature-based tourism
Pagham Harbour
Inspiration
Chichester & Langstone Harbour
Cultural heritage
Unrecognised
Contemporary cultural significance
Pevensey Levels
Spiritual and religious values
Arun Valley
Aesthetic and “sense of place” values
Pagham Harbour
Educational activities and opportunities
Chichester & Langstone Harbour Important knowledge systems, and importance for
research
Recognised 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

20. Ecosystem services
Ecosystem services and Ramsar sites in Sussex
Supporting Services
Pevensey Levels
Arun Valley
Pagham Harbour
Chichester & Langstone Harbour
Unrecognised
Supports a variety of all life forms
Pevensey Levels
Sediment retention
Arun Valley
Accumulation of organic matter
Pagham Harbour Storage, recycling, processing and acquisition of
nutrients
Chichester & Langstone Harbour Carbon storage/ sequestration
Recognised
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

21. Ecosystem services
Ecosystem services and Ramsar sites in Sussex
Chichester & Langstone Harbour Pagham Harbour
Provisioning Services Provisioning Services
1.0 1.0
0.5 0.5
Supporting Services 0.0 Regulating Services Supporting Services 0.0 Regulating Services
Cultural Services Cultural Services
Recognition Gap
Arun Valley Pevensey Levels
Provisioning Services Provisioning Services
1.0 1.0
0.5 0.5
Supporting Services 0.0 Regulating Services Supporting Services 0.0 Regulating Services
Recognised
Cultural Services Unrecognised Cultural Services
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

22. When both the market and non-
marketed economic benefits of
wetlands are included, the total
economic value of unconverted
wetlands is often greater than that of
converted wetlands
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

23. Recognizing value in ecosystems,
landscapes, species and other aspects
of biodiversity is a feature of all human
societies and communities, and is
sometimes sufficient to ensure
conservation and sustainable use.
TEEB (2010)
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

24. Ecosystem services
Understanding value is a means to an end,
not an end in itself
 “The benefits that inland wetlands bring to water quality are worth up to
£1.5billion per year to the UK.”
 “The amenity benefits of living close to rivers, coasts and other wetlands is
worth up to £1.3billion per year to the UK.” Defra (2011)
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

25. Ecosystem services
We need to understand value in order to reverse degradation
of wetland ecosystems and to improve human-well being:
Just like “built” capital
assets and infrastructure,
investment in wetland
conservation and wise use
yields tangible returns and
cost savings
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

26. Ecosystem services
Some key messages
 ALL of the wetlands in Sussex have value.
 Need to consider both the threatened or rare and
the common and mundane.
 Need to be better at recognising, demonstrating
and capturing value.
 Need to communicate in different languages.
 If designated sites are in unfavourable condition
what does this mean for undesignated wetlands?
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

27. So, what is the value of the Arun
Valley Ramsar Site?
Provisioning Fresh Water
Regulating Pollination
Cultural Service: Recreation Regulating Carbon
Provisioning Food Habitats for Species
Cultural Service: Tourism
Regulating Water Treatment
Cultural Service: Aesthetics Regulating Floods
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012

28. Thank you
Water and Wetlands: Key Issues and Future Priorities for Sussex
January2012