Human-nature nexuses in Brazil: Monitoring production of economic and ecosystem services in historical series

Author(s)

Giannetti, Biagio F. ^{[1, 2]} ; Faria, Luciana ^{[1, 3]} ; Almeida, Cecilia M. V. B. ^[1] ; Agostinho, Feni ^[1] ; Coscieme, Luca ^[1] ; Liu, Gengyuan ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Paulista UNIP, Programa Pos Grad Engn Prod, Lab Prod & Meio Ambiente, R Dr Bacelar 1212, BR-04026002 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Beijing Normal Univ, Sch Environm, State Key Joint Lab Environm Simulat & Pollut Con, 19 Xinjiekouwai St, Beijing 100875 - Peoples R China

^[3] Inst Fed Educ Ciencia & Tecnol Sul Minas Gerais I, Praca Tiradentes 416, BR-37570000 Inconfidentes, MG - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; v. 30, n. B, SI, p. 248-256, APR 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

Human-Nature nexuses are evident when we evaluate the different contributions of economic systems and ecosystems to human well-being. In this paper, the amount of services for well-being and the effectiveness in producing them has been assessed for the national economy and national ecosystem mosaic of Brazil, in historical series (1981-2011). The emergy methodology has been used as a tool able to evaluate different contributions to well-being on the same basis, thus allowing rightful comparisons. Results show that the monetary value of Nature's contributions to national welfare is higher than contributions from the economy. Furthermore, ecosystems provide services in a more effective and sustainable way, relying on a lower amount of total resources and using exclusively renewable resources. In addition, Nature's contributions are almost constant throughout the historical series considered, where services from the economy oscillate, representing a less stable source of well-being. This study confirms results already highlighted at the global and national scales by previous studies, adding a time-series perspective to that. These results inspire a re-consideration of the interactions among the biosphere and the technosphere in order to better address trade-offs between different forms of services. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/07931-8 - Accounting and mapping of natural capital contribution to economic production processes in the States of Brazil
• Grantee: Luca Coscieme
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate