Cascades
Humans are a central component of the ecosystem. They manage, benefit from, and have impact on ecosystems. Awareness of what is happening to ecosystems shape the way people manage these systems.
A Cascade is an interdisciplinary bridge between natural science and social science. Cascades are developed to relate ecosystem assets to the services desired and valued by a community and to assist with management of ecological systems.
Cascades are important because they:
- assist communications between disciplines, help participants be aware of the perspectives of different decisions and help decision-makers better integrate the concept of ecosystem services into decision-making.
- are a device for structuring and prioritizing work and reporting
- provide a framework for documenting the functioning and measuring the value of ecosystem services
- advances scientific understanding helping us to better understand the dependence of human well-being on nature
- provide tested, practical, and tailored solutions for integrating ecosystem services into land, water and urban management and decision making
- addresses the challenge of ecosystem management and governance
Cascades are different for different ecological systems and should be developed to assist with the management of each ecological system.
Cascades are best developed in a conversation among ecosystem managers, scientists and stakeholders.
Cascade Example
Search Landscape Use Planning Guide, 2020, Forestry : British Columbia page 2.
The columns for a Cascade vary. The choice of categories can bias the work of a task force developing the Cascade. Headings may include:
- Biophysical structure, climate – state of ecosystem
- Services
- processes supported by the ecosystem
- goods and services provided by the ecosystem
- Impact of economic activities on ecosystems
- Benefits to people and cultural services
- Economic value (measured)
- Management, governance, policy requirements to maintain ecosystem
Testing of Cascades for Functionality
Sometimes the questions we ask influence the answers we get. A chart should be assessed to evaluate the following:
- How does format of the table affect the discussion?
- Does the table facilitate the organization of informatio?n
- Does the table introduce biases in the way information is assessed and used?
- Does the table facilitate the organization of available information?
- What additional information needs to be gathered and integrated?
References
Understanding the role of conceptual frameworks: Reading the ecosystem service cascade
| Biophysical Structure | Supporting Services | Regulating Services | Provisioning Services | Cultural Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not stated | Primary production | Invasion resistance | Food, fiber, fuel | Spiritual Values |
| Provision of habitat | Pollination | Genetics resources | Knowledge systems |
|
| Nutrient cycling | Seed dispersal | Biochemicals | Education & Inspiration |
|
| Soil formation/ retention | Climate regulation | Fresh water | Recreation & Aesthetic |
|
| Production of atmospheric oxygen | Pest and disease regulation | Habitat | ||
| Water cycling | Natural hazard protection | |||
| Erosion regulation | ||||
| Water purification |
