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An Ecosystem Services Valuation of a Restored
Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades Watershed in the Face of Sea Level Rise
ACES 2012 Workshop Dec 10, 2012
ESV: Why the Controversy: Everglades Case Study
Arthur R. Marshall Foundation 2012 Summer Interns:
Mary Crider, Kyle Dollman, Danielle Koushel, James K.
O’Connell, and Max Wallace
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Introduction
• Objectives – Analyze CERP & CEPP as a Counter-Measure to Sea
Level Rise (SLR)
– Complete an Ecosystem Service Valuation (ESV) for the Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades Watershed
– Illustrate the value of the areas in the Everglades threatened by SLR
• Purpose – Bring awareness to ESV as an important tool
– Encourage managers and decision-makers to consider SLR in public works projects
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Sea Level Rise
Preparing for Uncertainty
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Sea Level Rise
USACE, E.C. 1165-2-212, Figure B-11,
2011
• SLR is caused by thermal
expansion and glacial melting
• From 1961 to 2003, Global
Mean Sea Level (GMSL) rose at
an average rate of 0.017in/yr (a
total of 3 inches)
• From 1993 to 2003, the average
rate of increase was 0.12in/yr
• The expected range of SLR by
2060 in South Florida is 9-24 in
• Most of FL’s utility infrastructure
is underground/coastal and at
risk
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Sea Level Rise
• CERP & CEPP as a Counter-Measure to SLR
1. Lodge, 2010; 2. Mitsch, et al, 2010
Problems/Issues of
SLR
How CERP/CEPP are addressing them
Salinization of
Aquifers
Increased freshwater flow will displace incoming saltwater. This is vital to protecting South
Florida drinking water supplies.
Decreased flood
control capabilities
The placement of pumps and flood control devices along with an increased freshwater head
will improve the ability to discharge flood waters.
Decreased storm
protection
A restored flow will improve the health of the wetland ecosystem which will allow it to
effectively hold stormwater. Mangrove forests also act a physical barrier to storm surges
and high winds.1
Saltwater inundation
of coastal wetlands
Restored sheet flow will decrease the salinity of coastal wetlands and bring more detritus to
the coast.
Increased
degradation of peat
Mangrove forests will be encouraged by this increased deposition of organic matter. Peat
deposits will form at a rate that will counteract the degradation from saltwater. 1
Loss of carbon
sequestration
This tidal marsh and mangrove forests will sequester carbon.2
Threatened natural
habitats and species
The resulting physical barrier will act as a primary defense against SLR.
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Ecosystem Services and Ecosystem Services Valuation
Definitions, Functions, and Examples
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Ecosystem Services
• Benefits derived from a
functioning ecosystem
• A variety of regulation,
habitat, production,
and cultural and
informational functions
generate substantial
worth Pond Apple Forest, Torry Island, Lake Okeechobee
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Regulation Services Ecosystem Service Function Everglades Example Scale
Regulation Services - The capacity of ecosystems to maintain essential ecological processes and life support systems
Gas regulation Balances atmospheric gas
concentrations
Wetlands produce CH4 and release 20% of that
to the atmoshphere1 Global
Carbon Sequestration Stores carbon from natural and
anthropogenic sources
Through deposition of biomass, the Everglades
wetlands store carbon1 Global
Climate regulation
Controls temperature,
precipitation, and local weather
patterns
The evapotranspiration and rainfall in the
Everglades are components of hydrologic
patterns in all of South Florida2
Global
Disturbance regulation
Ecosystem resilience to floods,
storms, and anthropogenic
perturbations
Freshwater marsh vegetation naturally stores
storm water and mangroves provide a physical
barrier to hurricanes3
Biome-
Landscape
Water flow regulation Timing and distribution of surface
and groundwater flow
Sheet flow maintains the ridge and slough
structure of the natural Everglades system4
Biome-
Landscape
Erosion control and
sediment retention
Reduces the rate at which soil is
lost from the landscape
Mangroves and freshwater marsh vegetation trap
and hold sediment5
Biome-
Landscape
Nutrient cycling and
regulation
Intake, processing, and output of
nutrients
Nitrogen fixation completed by the Everglades
ecosystem is important to convert nutrients to a
usable form
Ecosystem
Waste treatment Pollutant and contaminant
regulation
Vegetation in freshwater marshes filter
chemicals out of surface and groundwater5 Ecosystem
Pollination Plant reproduction Zebra Longwing butterflies transport pollen for
plants, such as the Lantana6 Ecosystem
Biological control Trophic regulation of communities Predators, such as Anhingas, regulate prey
populations
Biome-
Landscape
© Habitat and Production Services
Ecosystem Service Function Everglades Example Scale
Habitat Services - Provisions of suitable living space to be used by plants and animals
Refugia Habitats for permanent and
seasonal populations
The Everglades provides a home for multiple
threatened and endemic species7 Plot-plant
Nursery function Habitats for successful
reproduction
The Everglades acts as a reproduction area for
multiple threatened and endemic species7 Plot-plant
Production Services - Goods and services are produced from an ecosystem
Water supply Freshwater storage Freshwater flowing through the Everglades
recharges the aquifers for drinking water8
Biome-
Landscape
Soil formation Accumulates organic matter Freshwater marshes generate peat9 Ecosystem
Food Production Gross Primary Product that can
be removed for food
Sugarcane and citrus groves are common in the
North Everglades system Ecosystem
Raw materials Gross Primary Product that can
be removed for raw materials
Limestone mining occurs in the Southern
Everglades
Biome-
Landscape
Genetic resources Ecological biodiversity The Everglades provides refuge for multiple
threatened and endemic species7 Plot-plant
Medicinal resources Biochemical substances found in
the natural system
Cypress essential oils have many medicinal uses
including insect repellent10 Plot-plant
Ornamental resources Potential ornamental use of
natural resources
The Ghost Orchid is one of many favorite
ornamentals from the Everglades Plot-plant
© Informational and Cultural Services
Ecosystem Service Function Everglades Example Scale
Informational and Cultural Services - An ecosystems ability to benefit people with cognitive and spiritual development
Recreation Provisions for recreational
activities
Everglades National Park hosted 934,351
recreational visitors in 201111 Global
Aesthetic Information Landscape features to be viewed
The observation tower on the Shark Valley bike
trail overlooks the beautiful scenery of Everglades
National Park
Global
Cultural and artistic
information
Natural features that hold cultural
and artistic value
Zora Neale Hurston's There Eyes Were Watching
God is set in mid-20th Century Florida and
features the Everglades
Global
Spiritual and historic
information
Natural features that hold spiritual
and historic value
Everglades National Park is a World Heritage Site
with 196 Listed Archeological Sites12 Global
Science and education Natural features that hold
scientific and educational value
Everglades National Park has engaged in
environmental education for over 41 years11 Global
1. Wright and Reddy, 2009; 2. Abtew, 2004; 3. Marine Biology Conservation Society, 2012; 4. McVoy, et al., 2011; 5. Bruland, 2008; 6.
Moisset, 2010; 7. Florida Museum of Natural History, 2010; 8. Esterson and Eckert, 2010; 9. Lodge, 2010; 10. Watkins, et al., 2002;
11. NPS, 2012; 12. Memory, 2012
© Ecosystem Services Valuation
• Replacement Costs
– Phosphorus removal
• Avoided Costs
– Catskills Watershed
• Market Values
– Carbon sequestration
• An important tool for comparing project alternatives
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Methodology
Considerations and Value Transfer
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Methods
• Value Transfer (Benefit Transfer)
1. Identify landscapes
2. Find respective areas (ac)
3. Assign equivalent biomes (52)
4. Multiply area by corresponding $ ac-1 yr -1
From $95.89 for Pasture/Agriculture land to $17,541.95 for Seagrass
5. Sum value flow of individual landscapes
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KOE Watershed
Areas Considered • Everglades Headwaters
• Lake Okeechobee – Littoral zone separate from open water
• Everglades
• Coastal ecosystems – Tidal marsh, mangroves, FL Bay seagrass
• Peripheral ecosystems – Areas expected to benefit from CERP/CEPP
Total of 5.5 million acres
© KOE Watershed
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Findings and Results
Economics and Ecology
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Results
• For a fully functional KOE watershed:
– Costanza et al.: $20-$34.6 billion per year
– Batker et al.: $11.9-$43.8 billion per year
• Need for synthesis
– Include biome types from both studies
– Add constructed wetland category
Arthur R. Marshall Foundation:
$12.2-$45.5 billion per year
Per Acre Values of Landscapes and Ecosystem Services in the KOE Watershed (2012 US $ ac-1 yr-1)
Freshwater
Wetland
Forested
Wetland
Constructed
Wetland
Tidal
marsh Mangroves Seagrass
Open Estuarine
Water
Open
Freshwater
Upland Shrub-
Scrub
Upland
Forest
Pasture/
Agriculture
Land
Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max
Gas regulation 182.24 182.24 182.24 182.24 182.24 182.24 182.24 182.24 182.24 182.24 4.81 4.81
Carbon Sequestration 42.70 464.76 142.30 1,032.81 42.70 464.76 42.70 464.76 42.70 464.76 7.06 8.89 14.09 17.78
Climate regulation
Disturbance
regulation 1,859.95 1,859.95 1,859.95 1,859.95 0.63 4,596.29 1,065.60 1,065.60 355.20 355.20 1.37 1.37
Water flow
regulation 743.75 7,945.12 743.75 7,945.12 2.07 2.07
Erosion control and
sediment retention 19.95 19.95 66.07 66.07
Nutrient cycling and
regulation 6,264.53 17,540.69 248.46 248.46
Waste treatment 374.77 1,426.47 374.77 1,426.47 5.37 37.14 4,194.73 4,194.73 457.69 457.69 59.88 59.88 59.88 59.88
Pollination 1.51 7.56 78.68 353.43 3.00 15.13
Biological control 16.18 16.18 2.75 2.75 16.18 16.18
Refugia 247.41 590.39 247.41 590.39 247.41 590.39 122.78 122.78 1.69 443.84 0.73 362.39 1.40 724.76
Nursery function 89.58 89.58
Water supply 56.70 151.23 56.70 151.23 7.38 159.76 36.74 958.42 12.00 513.47
Soil formation 0.68 0.68 6.88 6.88 0.68 0.68
Food Production 71.19 1,645.11 71.17 1,645.11 0.63 893.32 10.02 1,730.26 28.22 28.22 34.41 34.41 41.65 41.65
Raw materials 5.77 6.54 27.56 91.46 8.14 715.41 1.25 1.25 17.20 17.20
Genetic resources 11.03 11.03
Medicinal resources
Ornamental
resources
Recreation 249.97 782.70 249.97 782.70 249.97 782.70 13.16 1,117.59 178.54 570.07 14.43 1,731.46 1.92 2,180.16 17.44 1,456.25 0.49 2,878.14 34.37 34.37
Aesthetic
Information 90.81 290.47 90.81 290.47
Cultural and artistic
information
Spiritual and historic
information
Science and
education
TOTAL 3,925.25 15,344.98 3,928.27 15,616.02 818.50 2,347.71 4,584.42 11,663.18 1,576.82 4,817.93 6,265.79 17,541.95 378.70 2,690.26 524.58 3,624.49 130.30 1,938.65 554.71 4,935.62 95.89 108.01
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Results
Present Value over 40 years (2012 US $)
Discount Rate Low High
0% 491 billion 1.8 trillion
2% 336 billion 1.2 trillion
3.5% 262 billion 972 billion
5% 211 billion 781 billion
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Discussion and Conclusions
Limitations and Recommendations
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Discussion
• KOE watershed is valuable asset
• Wetland/coastal ecosystems at risk to SLR
• Continued support of CERP/CEPP
• Caveats:
– Values represent fully functional ecosystem
– Need value of ecosystem services in KOE
– Uncertainty (SLR, ability to cope)
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Conclusions
• Recommendations
– Use ESV in decision-making
– Consider SLR in public works projects
– Shift way of thinking about SLR and climate
change
• Further Research
– Calculate actual degradation of KOE Watershed
– Improve precision and accuracy of ESV
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Questions?
Mary Crider, Kyle Dollman, Danielle Koushel,
James K. O’Connell, and Max Wallace
Arthur R. Marshall Foundation for The Everglades
+1 (561)–233–9004
1028 N. Federal Highway, Lake Worth, FL 33460
www.artmarshall.org
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Thank You
