EXPLORING APPROACHES FOR CONSTRUCTING SPECIES ACCOUNTS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SEEA-EEA Coordinating lead authors and Araceli Urriola (Ministerio del Ambiente, MINAM); Jose Luis Robles Franco, Judith Samaniego and Eliana Quispe Steven King, Claire Brown, Mike Harfoot and Lucy Wilson (INEI); Fernando Grandez Veintimilla and Yzia Encomenderos Contributing authors (Económico del Gobierno Regional de San Martín, GRDE); and Mario Rios, William Velasquez, Silvia Reategui and Richard Katie Bolt (RSPB), Neil Brummitt (Natural History Museum), Bartra (Autoridad Regional Ambiental, ARA). Stuart Butchart (Birdlife International), Bridget Emmett (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology), Julian Chow (UNSD), Amanda The United Nations Environment Programme World Driver (SANBI), Mark Eigenraam (IDEEA Group), Simon Ferrier Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is the (CSIRO), Per Arild Garnåsjordet (Statistics Norway/NINA), specialist biodiversity assessment centre of the United Nations Hedley Grantham (Wildlife Conservation Society), Lars Hein Environment Programme (UNEP). The Centre has been in (Wageningen University, NL), Craig Hilton-Taylor (IUCN), Emil operation for over 30 years, combining scientific research with Ivanov (University of Nottingham), Daniel Juhn (Conservation practical policy advice. This publication may be reproduced for International), Georgina Mace (University College London), educational or non-profit purposes without special permission, Ronald Kaggwa (Uganda National Planning Authority), Trond provided acknowledgement to the source is made. Larsen (Conservation International), Francis Ogwal (Uganda National Environmental Management Authority), and Jan-Erik Disclaimer Petersen (European Environment Agency). This document proposes a step-by-step approach to aid those This work was coordinated by the United Nations Environment interested in constructing Species Accounts at national or sub- Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP- national levels. We hope that this approach will be tested by WCMC). The step-by-step approach for constructing Species specialist agencies, research institutes and other organisations Accounts that is presented in this document is informed to determine its applicability in different situations. These by a three-day workshop held at UNEP-WCMC’s offices in experiences will help to improve future approaches to species Cambridge in February 2016. The work has been funded by accounting based on lessons learnt. UNEP-WCMC would greatly the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swedish appreciate any feedback from users in these regards. International Development Cooperation (SIDA). The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP, UNSD, the Government of Norway, the Acknowledgements Government of Sweden and other contributory authors and We gratefully acknowledge the input and support from organisations, or editors. The designations employed and Alessandra Alfieri and Ivo Havinga (UNSD), Rocky Harris the presentations of material in this report do not imply the (DEFRA ), Carl Obst (IDEEA Group), Stig Gustaf Johansson expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP or (the World Bank), Michael Vardon (ANU, World Bank), Ken contributory organisations, editors or publishers concerning the Joseph Bagstad (USGS, World Bank), Hilary Allison, Arnout legal status of any country, territory, city area or its authorities, or van Soesbergen and James Vause (UNEP-WCMC), Thomas concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or the Brooks and Caroline Pollock (IUCN), Lisa Waselikowski and designation of its name, frontiers or boundaries. The mention Markus Erhard (European Environment Agency), Iulie Aslaksen of a commercial entity or product in this publication does not (Statistics Norway), and Olav Skarpaas Signe Nybø, Erik imply endorsement by UNEP, UNSD or the Governments of Framstad and Baard Pedersen (The Norwegian Institute for Norway and Sweden. Nature Research). For providing the case study material for Wales, we would like Citation to thank the CEH team (Bridget Emmett, Lindsay Maskell, UNEP-WCMC (2016) Exploring approaches for constructing Simon Smart, Gavin Siriwardena and Bronwen Williams). For Species Accounts in the context of the SEEA-EEA. providing the Peru case study material, we would like to thank Daniel Juhn, Trond Larsen and Hedley Grantham (Conservation Copy edited by Helen Walsh (www.lonelycottage.co.uk) International); Simon Ferrier (CSIRO Australia); Roger Loyola Layout: Ralph Design Ltd. (www.ralphdesign.co.uk) Front cover image © Lorimer Images / shutterstock.com ISBN: 978-92-807-3582-6 DEP/2017/CA UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK UNEP promotes Tel: +44 1223 277314 environmentally sound www.unep-wcmc.org practices globally and in its own activities. Our distribution policy aims to reduce UNEP’s carbon footprint Contents Summary 1 Glossary 15 iii Purpose, scope and structure of Exploring approaches for constructing Species Accounts in the context of the SEEA-EEA 17 1. Introduction 21 1.1 What is biodiversity? 21 1.2 Why account for species? 22 1.3 What is the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting – Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EEA) framework? 23 1.4 How can species information be captured in the SEEA-EEA? 24 1.5 What are the appropriate spatial units for Species Accounts in the SEEA-EEA? 26 1.6 What do Species Accounts look like? 29 1.7 Challenges to implementing Species Accounts 31 1.8 Key Messages 31 2. Step-by-step approach 33 2.1 Planning 35 2.1.1 Step 1: Define uses and users 35 2.1.2 Step 2: Select species of special concern and scope data 42 2.1.3 Step 3: Decide the approach and type of Species Accounts 52 2.1.4 Step 4: Decide the Reporting Units, frequency and summary statistics 70 2.2 Implementation 76 2.2.1 Step 5: Collate and prepare data 76 2.2.2 Step 6: Populate Species Accounts 80 2.2.3 Step 7: Identify and fill gaps in the Species Accounts 90 2.2.4 Step 8: Organise and aggregate Species Accounts 92 2.2.5 Step 9: Analyse and integrate Species Accounts 97 2.3 Communicate and use 106 2.3.1 Step 10: Communicate and use 106 2.4 Review and refine 114 2.4.1 Step 11: Review and refine 114 3 Conclusions and future research 117 3.1 Future research and testing 118 References 121 Appendix A: Case study of national Species Accounts for Wales 131 Appendix B: Case study of Species Accounts San Martin, Peru 145 LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES AND BOXES Figures No. Title Page A Step-by-step approach for constructing Species Accounts. 19 1.1 The three components of biodiversity (UNEP-WCMC, 2015). 21 1.2 SEEA-EEA Accounting Model (SEEA TR, 2015). 23 1.3 Relationship between thematic accounts and other SEEA-EEA accounts (Chow, 2016). 24 iv 1.4 Linkages between Species Accounts, Ecosystem Asset Accounts (Extent and Condition), 26 Ecosystem Service Accounts and the economy. 1.5 The relationship between spatial areas used for ecosystem accounting. 27 2.1 Step-by-step approach for constructing Species Accounts. 34 2.2 Overview of the policy cycle (UNEP, 2014). 36 2.3 Diagram illustrating how species selected for Species Accounts can also provide information 47 on conservation, ecosystem condition and functioning and ecosystem services. 2.4 Major components of the habitat-based methods to deriving Species Accounts. 57 2.5 Data acquisition for Accounts of Species or Species Groups of Special Concern using 59 habitat-based method with individual species distributions. 2.6 Data acquisition for Accounts of Species Groups of Special Concern using habitat-based 62 method with discrete community class distributions. 2.7 Data acquisition for Accounts of Species Groups of Special Concern using habitat-based 65 method with continuous variation in community composition. 2.8 An example of the challenges in downscaling species status data. 79 2.9 Diagram demonstrating the integration of Species Accounts with wider ecosystem and 99 thematic accounts. 2.10 The importance of different species (biodiversity) groups in underpinning final ecosystem 110 services, based on expert judgement (Table 4.2 UK NEA, 2011). Tables No. Title Page A Hypothetical example Account of Species and Species Groups of Special Concern (2005-2010). 30 2.1 Examples of the potential uses of Species Accounts by different stakeholder groups. 39 2.2 Hypothetical example Account of Species or Species Groups of Special Concern using 55 direct observations (2005 – 2010). 2.3 Hypothetical example Account of Species of Special Concern using habitat-based method 59 with individual species distributions (2005-2010). 2.4 Hypothetical example Account of Species Groups of Special Concern using habitat-based 63 method with discrete community class distributions (2005-2010). 2.5 Hypothetical example Account of Species Groups of Special Concern using habitat-based 65 method with continuous variation in community composition (2005-2010). 2.6 The pros and cons of using composite indicators (CI; based on Saltelli, 2007). 73 2.7 Hypothetical example Account of Species and Species Groups of Special Concern for 82 ecosystem service delivery in grassland ecosystems within an administrative area (2005-2010). 2.8 Account of Red List Status (SEEA-EEA, 2014) 88 2.9 Species Account for species of conservation concern in different ecosystems within a 93 Reporting Unit (2010-2015). 2.10 Integrating information from Species Accounts into the Ecosystem Condition Account. 101 2.11 Integrating information from Species Accounts into Ecosystem Condition Account over a 101 time series. x Boxes No. Title Page 2.1 Forms of stakeholder engagement. 38 2.2 Feasibility study for species accounting in Uganda (UNEP-WCMC, 2016). 41 2.3 Evaluating the potential for the development and use of Species Accounts in Wales. 48 2.4 Review of data availability for Species Accounts in Wales. 49 2.5 Selecting the data collection strategy and reference conditions for Species Accounts in 68 Wales. 2.6 Species Accounts constructed via habitat-based methods, San Martin, Peru 69 v (CI and CSIRO, 2016). 2.7 Reporting Unit and frequency chosen for Species Accounts in Wales.