Bark, RH, Robinson, CJ and Flessa, KW (2016) Tracking cultural ecosystem services: water chasing the Colorado River restoration pulse flow. Ecological Economics, 127. pp. 165-172. ISSN 0921-8009
Abstract
The release of environmental flows for ecological restoration is a challenge for water policymakers and managers as it involves complex trade-offs between productive and ecosystem uses of water. While it is crucial to demonstrate that such environmental flows produce the desired hydro-ecological results, allocation of environmental water is also influenced by perceived social values of this water. This research draws on the sub-field of socio-hydrology to track two-way feedbacks between humans and environmental flows and shows why and how social responses to river restoration can be monitored. Media coverage, posted comments and in-person interviews were used to track the responses of stakeholders who ‘chased’ the progress of the 2014 “pulse flow” down the Colorado River. These data framed in the cultural ecosystem systems typology revealed the temporal patterns and dynamics of dramatic shifts in socio-hydrologic processes and highlight the value of understanding the human wellbeing benefits and complex social values that are affected by freshwater restoration. This experimental and mixed evidence approach is useful for contexts where multiple stakeholders shape water resource management and we suggest it can be used by water decision-makers in their efforts to understand and appropriately respond to the social-ecological dynamics of a changing river system.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 Elsevier B.V. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Ecological Economics. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Transboundary; Restoration; Pulse flow; Social values; Socio-hydrology; Monitoring; Cultural ecosystem services; Public good |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 14 Apr 2016 09:36 |
Last Modified: | 05 Aug 2017 23:58 |
Published Version: | https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.03.009 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.03.009 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:98492 |