The livelihoods and well-being of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in remote and rural northern Australia are dependent upon the ecosystem services provided by tropical ecosystems. The well-being of all Austr...The livelihoods and well-being of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in remote and rural northern Australia are dependent upon the ecosystem services provided by tropical ecosystems. The well-being of all Australian citizens is measured by the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) using socio-economic indicators. In this study we investigated the importance of non-market benefits derived from ecosystem services for Aboriginal well-being. Through a case study with the Mullunburra-Yidinji people in the Wet Tropics, Queensland, we applied the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) framework to identify the links between ecosystem services and the MA's six constituents of human well-being. The study demonstrated that cultural and provisioning services were key determinants of community well-being, and these are not currently measured by the ABS. We adapt the MA framework to include the ABS indicators and explore the potential strengths and weaknesses of the approach for measuring the well-being of contemporary remote and rural Aboriginal communities.展开更多
In order to use science to manage human-nature interactions,we need much more nuanced,and when possible,quantitative,analyses of the interplay among ecosystem services(ES),human well-being(HWB),and drivers of both eco...In order to use science to manage human-nature interactions,we need much more nuanced,and when possible,quantitative,analyses of the interplay among ecosystem services(ES),human well-being(HWB),and drivers of both ecosystem structure and function,as well as HWB.Despite a growing interest and extensive efforts in ES research in the past decade,systematic and quantitative work on the linkages between ES and HWB is rare in existing literature,largely due to the lack of use of quantitative indicators and integrated models.Here,we integrated indicators of human dependence on ES,of HWB,and of direct and indirect drivers of both using data from household surveys carried out atWolong Nature Reserve,China.We examined how human dependence on ES and HWB might be affected by direct drivers,such as a natural disaster,and how human dependence on ES and direct and indirect drivers might affect HWB.Our results show that the direct driver(i.e.,Wenchuan Earthquake)significantly affected both households’dependence on ES and their well-being.Such impacts differed across various dimensions of ES and well-being as indicated by subindices.Those disadvantaged households with lower access to multiple forms of capital,more property damages,or larger revenue reductions also experienced greater losses in HWB.Diversifying human dependence on ES helps to mitigate disaster impacts on HWB.Our findings offer strong empirical evidence that the construction of quantitative indicators for ES and HWB,especially integrated models using them,is a viable approach for advancing the understanding of linkages between ES and HWB.展开更多
文摘The livelihoods and well-being of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in remote and rural northern Australia are dependent upon the ecosystem services provided by tropical ecosystems. The well-being of all Australian citizens is measured by the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) using socio-economic indicators. In this study we investigated the importance of non-market benefits derived from ecosystem services for Aboriginal well-being. Through a case study with the Mullunburra-Yidinji people in the Wet Tropics, Queensland, we applied the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) framework to identify the links between ecosystem services and the MA's six constituents of human well-being. The study demonstrated that cultural and provisioning services were key determinants of community well-being, and these are not currently measured by the ABS. We adapt the MA framework to include the ABS indicators and explore the potential strengths and weaknesses of the approach for measuring the well-being of contemporary remote and rural Aboriginal communities.
基金financial support from the National Science Foundation,the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,Michigan State University AgBioResearch,and fellowships from Envi-ronmental Science and Policy Program,Graduate Office,and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University
文摘In order to use science to manage human-nature interactions,we need much more nuanced,and when possible,quantitative,analyses of the interplay among ecosystem services(ES),human well-being(HWB),and drivers of both ecosystem structure and function,as well as HWB.Despite a growing interest and extensive efforts in ES research in the past decade,systematic and quantitative work on the linkages between ES and HWB is rare in existing literature,largely due to the lack of use of quantitative indicators and integrated models.Here,we integrated indicators of human dependence on ES,of HWB,and of direct and indirect drivers of both using data from household surveys carried out atWolong Nature Reserve,China.We examined how human dependence on ES and HWB might be affected by direct drivers,such as a natural disaster,and how human dependence on ES and direct and indirect drivers might affect HWB.Our results show that the direct driver(i.e.,Wenchuan Earthquake)significantly affected both households’dependence on ES and their well-being.Such impacts differed across various dimensions of ES and well-being as indicated by subindices.Those disadvantaged households with lower access to multiple forms of capital,more property damages,or larger revenue reductions also experienced greater losses in HWB.Diversifying human dependence on ES helps to mitigate disaster impacts on HWB.Our findings offer strong empirical evidence that the construction of quantitative indicators for ES and HWB,especially integrated models using them,is a viable approach for advancing the understanding of linkages between ES and HWB.