Valuating and Modelling the Spatial Distribution of Ecosystem Services: Traditional Uses versus Commercial Logging
Abstract
Abstract
Ecosystem services derived from tropical plants sustain indigenous societies and make
significant contributions to global economies. Often, multiple ecosystem services are obtained
from the same plant species which introduces a potential for conflict, particularly between
indigenous peoples and commercial loggers. Currently, conventional forest management regimes
favor the logging perspective, overlooking indigenous peoples’ reliance on the forests. The
problem is exacerbated by the lack of conceptual tools to value forests from indigenous peoples’
perspective. This research began the process of addressing the problem through three objectives.
First, indices were developed, based on plant attributes, to compare a plant species’ value from
indigenous peoples’ versus commercial loggers’ perspectives. Second, indigenous peoples’
influence on the distribution of ecosystem services were examined using physical environment
and demographic variables that are associated with their presence. Third, the relative differences
in the spatial distributions of subsistence and commercial logging ecosystem services at the
village-level were examined. The analyses produced three findings. First, while there was a
larger number of plants whose commercial logging values were greater compared to their
subsistence values, at both the individual plant- and site-levels the mean subsistence values were
higher than the mean logging values. Second, the influence of the human presence on the
distributions of the subsistence and commercial logging services varied at both the landscape and village-levels. Third, modeling the relative differences between the subsistence and
commercial logging values at the village-level revealed that some areas favored the presence of
subsistence services whilst others were more suitable for the presence of logging services. The
valuation and spatial tools developed in this research can be used to assist indigenous peoples in
addressing resource use and spatial optimization challenges, especially when commercial loggers
and conservation initiatives, such as United Nations Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and
Degradation (REDD+) program, have different perspectives on how forests should be used.