2.3.2.6 Triage sequence 2.3: Which other factors do affect the status or value of the considered functions and services?

TRIAGE SEQUENCE 2
Refinement of scope of the ecosystem services assessment in support of scenarios building and policy design

Question 6
Which other factors do affect the status or value of the considered functions and services?

The next stage of the triage is to assess the influence of wider social, economic, environmental and political issues, particularly those beyond the control of local management structures (such as climate change or national policies).

Where these wider issues have a more significant impact on the value than the proposed local change, any expected change in value from local management action is unlikely to be realised.

Example

Example of the implementation of questions 3 to 6 of triage sequence 2

In order to sort the ecosystem services which should be assessed in the context of scenario or policy design, it is recommended to address the next three questions simultaneously. Each service is given a score (high, moderate, low) in response to each question based on relevant criteria. The total scores for each service, and how it scores for each question, can then feed into the decision-making process.

For example, where the Ecosystem Services on which a proposed study will focus have already been defined, the triage scoring can be used to justify (or to reject) the use of a marine ecosystem services assessment approach. Alternatively, where a number of possibilities for empirical research exist, the relative scores can be used to identify where limited resources would be best applied.

Table: Criteria for scoring each question of the Sequence 2 in the triage process