A visualization platform to analyze contextual links between natural capital and ecosystem services

• Published in: Ecosystem services 2020-10, Vol.45, p.101189, Article 101189
• Main Authors: Linney, G.N., Henrys, P.A., Blackburn, G.A., Maskell, L.C., Harrison, P.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attribute; Biodiversity; Evidence tool; Land management; Scale; Trade-offs
• ISSN: 2212-0416; 2212-0416
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101189

•Created a platform for collating and investigating literature-based evidence.•Shows natural capital to ecosystem service linkages are highly context dependent.•Trade-offs and synergies between services are also context dependent.•Can be used to advise stakeholders on important linkages in their context.•Identifies reporting bias in the literature to direct new research. To prevent further loss of our vital ecosystem services we must understand the linkages to their supporting natural capital attributes. Systematic literature reviews synthesise evidence of natural capital attribute to ecosystem service (NC-ES) linkages. However, such reviews rarely account for the context dependency of evidence that is derived from individual studies undertaken for a particular purpose, at a specific spatial scale or geographic location. To address this deficiency, we developed the LiNCAGES (Linking Natural Capital Attribute Groups to Ecosystem Services) platform for investigating the context dependency of literature-based evidence for NC-ES linkages. We demonstrate the application of the LiNCAGES platform using the OpenNESS systematic literature review of NC-ES linkages. A hypothetical use case scenario of a small-scale European forest manager is described. We find evidence for many NC-ES linkages, and trade-offs and synergies between services, is severely diminished or non-existent under certain contexts, such as larger spatial scales and European study location. The LiNCAGES platform provides a flexible tool that researchers can use to support collation, exploration and synthesis of literature-based evidence on NC-ES linkages. This is vital for providing credible and salient evidence to stakeholders on important NC-ES linkages that occur under their context, to guide effective management strategies.