the tatton estate, 31 october 2017 alison smith ... · tools for assessing the benefits of natural...

Tools for assessing the benefits of Natural Capital

The Tatton Estate, 31 October 2017Alison Smith, University of Oxford

We need your feedback

This is a new area for research

Tools are emerging but most are still in development

We want to learn how to tailor them to meet your needs

How to assess natural capital benefits

Scoping – what natural benefits can your land provide?

Mapping – where are the benefits provided and received?

Valuing – making the business case

Opportunities to protect and enhance the value and resilience of your natural capital

What tools can help?

Looked for tools that are:• Suitable for detailed analysis of a single estate• Focus on rural services• Simple to use, or fully supported• Suitable for the UK

Reviewed 144 tools Scoping: checklist Mapping: Viridian, NaturETrade and SENCE Valuing: tool outputs can feed into valuation

Wildlife habitat• Intrinsic & existence value• Pollination, pest predators

Cultural services• Landscape, local identity• Recreation, education

Regulating services• Flood control• Erosion control• Water quality• Air quality• Carbon storage • Local climate• Noise regulation

Provisioning services• Food: crops,

livestock, fish• Timber• Biofuels • Fresh water supply

Scoping: What services can your land provide?

Natural capitalSoil, water, plants,

animals

Wildlife habitat• Pollination, pest predators• Intrinsic & existence value





Interactions between services

Global

Catchment

Estate owner

Local people

Wildlife habitat• Pollination, pest predators• Intrinsic & existence value





Who benefits?

Scoping

Need to know:• Supply: What habitats can supply each service?• Condition: How does habitat condition affect

the service?• Demand: Who can benefit from the service?

Opportunities: Could natural capital be enhanced?Threats: Can you improve the resilience of your natural capital?

Scoping: a simple checklist

Regulating Services

Habitat for supply Condition Demand

Water quality Forest, shrub, wetland, riparian vegetation(Arable and improved grassland – can be negative)

Ground coverInfiltration

Location – between source and streamWater quality vulnerable zone

Flood control Trees, shrub, wetland, floodplain

InfiltrationSize &age of trees

Location - upstream of a flood zonePopulation affected

Erosion control

Trees, shrubs, permanent grassland, buffer strips, contour planting, terraces(Arable – can be negative)

Ground cover

SlopeRainfallSoil erodibilityPosition on slope


Cultural Services

Habitat for supply

Condition Demand

Aesthetic landscape

Trees, water, semi-natural habitats, flowering plants

Landscape diversity, species diversity, water quality

Accessibility / view

Recreation Accessible green space and water

Footpath access, signposting, facilities, wildness

Distance to populationDeprivation index

Education Semi-natural habitats

Access, information boards, facilities

Distance to schoolsDeprivation index

Sense of place Locally characteristic habitats

Accessibility / view

Scoping: data sourceshttp://data.gov.uk/

Scoping: MAGIC datahttp://magic.defra.gov.uk/

Mapping: basic land-cover map

ArableImproved grasslandSemi-natural grasslandWoodlandScrubBuildingsQuarry

HABITAT

Recreation

Aesthetic

Spiritual

Intellectual

Sense of Place

Wildness

Pollination

Pest Control

Habitat

Global Clim

ate

Air Quality

Flood Protection

Water Q

uality

Soil Erosion

Local Climate

Noise

Crops

Urban Food

Livestock

Water Supply

Broad-leaved semi-natural woodland 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.5 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.5 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 0.0 2.0 0.5 2.0Broad-leaved plantation 4.5 4.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 3.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0Coniferous plantation 3.0 2.5 1.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 2.5 3.5 5.0 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5Dense/continuous scrub 2.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.5 3.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.0 3.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 1.0Unimproved acidic grassland 3.5 4.5 3.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 5.0 2.0 1.5 1.5 3.0 4.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 2.5Unimproved neutral grassland 4.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 5.0 2.0 1.5 1.5 3.0 4.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 2.5Unimproved calcareous grassland 3.5 4.5 3.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 5.0 2.0 1.5 1.5 2.5 4.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 2.5Improved grassland 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.5 2.5 1.0 0.0 1.5 0.0 5.0 1.5Marsh/marshy grassland 3.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 3.5 5.0 2.5 1.5 2.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.5 3.0Tall ruderal 1.5 2.0 1.5 2.5 2.0 2.0 5.0 4.0 4.0 3.0 2.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 2.5Dry heath/acid grassland mosaic 3.0 4.5 4.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 3.5 5.0 2.5 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.5 2.0Standing water 4.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 2.5 2.0 5.0 2.5 1.0 1.5 3.5 0.5 2.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 5.0Arable 1.0 1.0 0.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.5 1.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 5.0 0.0 1.0 1.0Amenity grassland 3.0 1.0 1.0 0.5 3.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 2.0Bare ground 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0Urban - hard surfaces 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Scores

Habitat for wildlifeES Score

Food production ES Score

S1 S2 S3 …

Hab 1 5 5 3 …

Hab 2 3 2 1 …

… … … …

S1 S2 S3 …

Before 525 600 300 …

After 1 200 270 120 …

After 2 … … …

Habitat map

Adjust scores for quality, condition, and

location

Sum of (Score x area)

Matrix of scores

Total scores for each service

Assessing Net Gain

ES1

Natural Capital Planning Tool

Natural Capital Standard for Green Infrastructure (Prototype)

Score BonusStand of 10+ trees / woodland retained HBV 1 yesRetained native hedgerow (≥ 3 native species) 1 yes Retained native hedgerow (≤ 2 species) 0.8 yesStand of 10+ trees / woodland retained LBV 0.8Retained species rich meadow 0.8 yesRetained non-native hedgerow 0.8Retained native tree 0.8 yes SuDS HBV 0.8 YesCommunity growing area/allotment 0.8Rain garden HBV 0.8 Yes Retained non-native tree 0.8Shrub bed HBV 0.8 yesStand of 10+ trees / woodland planted HBV 0.8 yesGreen roof HBV 0.8 yesEstablished wildflower meadow 0.8 yesVertical greening HBV 0.6

Score BonusStand of 10+ trees / woodland planted LBV 0.6Water feature (e.g. pond), HBV 0.6 YesAmenity grassland with bulbs / naturalised grassland 0.6Shrub bed LBV 0.4SuDS LBV 0.4Amenity grassland 0.4Green roof LBV 0.4Rain garden LBV 0.4Planted native tree 0.4Planted native hedgerow (≥ 3 native species) 0.4Planted native hedgerow (≤ 2 species) 0.3Vertical greening LBV 0.3Planted non-native hedgerow 0.3Planted non-native tree 0.3Naturalised play area 0.3Permeable paving/gravel/ with green element 0.2Herbaceous flower bed border 0.2Permeable paving / gravel / partially porous surface 0.2Water feature LBV 0.2Sealed areas e.g. tarmac, concrete 0

Natural England maps based on scores

Mapping: datasets

Carbon stored in soil and vegetation, t/ha (CEH)

• Models flow of water down slope• Models how vegetation slows the flow and

traps sediment

Mapping tools: flow models

Mapping: hotspots

Eco-Serv-GIS modelRun by Natural Capital Solutions

Mapping: opportunitiesFlood protection

ES Score

Mapping: opportunitiesAir quality

Benefits depend on:

• Vegetation type

leaf area index

pollution removal rate

• Distance from roads

pollution levels

• Population living close to roads (e.g. 100m)

• Health deprivation levels

Mapping: opportunities

Scorese.g. 0 to 5

Process modelse.g. runoff

Datasetse.g. soil carbon t/ha

Mapping

Scorese.g. 0 to 5

Process modelse.g. runoff

Datasetse.g. soil carbon t/ha

Mapping

Local knowledgeParticipatory maps

Valuing: some challenges

What is the value of a view?

What is the value of a species?

What is the value of a life?

Measuring value

Quality• Description, score, or high / medium / low Quantity• Physical units e.g. carbon stored (t/ha), avoided

erosion (tonnes of soil / ha), abundance of pollinators, visitor numbers

Monetary value• £, e.g. value of goods or services produced,

avoided damage

Example: flood protection

Quality• Flood regulation potential (e.g. forests=5, urban=1) Quantity• Run-off avoided (cubic metres/year during storms)• Reduction in peak river levels (cm)• Number of houses not floodedMonetary value• Avoided damage from flooding• Replacement cost of flood defences

Example: landscape beauty

Quality• Aesthetic beauty (e.g. forests=5, urban=1) Quantity• Visitor numbers per year• Number of Flickr photosMonetary value • Travel time costs• House prices• Willingness to pay (surveys)

Valuing: tools

• NaturETrade – value depends on market • Viridian – estimates reduction in flooding and

water pollution; can derive values with extra data (avoided water treatment costs and flood damage)

• InVEST – includes valuation but needs expertise• iTree – value of trees for carbon, air quality and

amenity

Most studies use a bespoke approach

UK Natural Capital Accounts for Farmland (2014)

Service Physical measure

Annual value Asset value£ million

Crops and grazed biomass

Million t £1330 M/y £38,157 M

Water abstraction Cubic metres £5.7 M/y £161 M

Solar power GWh

Pollution removed

Thousand t £189 M/y £5690 M

Recreation Time spent £312 M/y £6560 M

Education Visits £2.3 M/y £54 MTotal £50,623 M

UK Natural Capital Accounts for Woodland (2015)

Service Physical measurement

Annual value£ million / y

Asset value£ million

Timber Total timber removals

£227 M/y £6,583 M

Carbon sequestration

Million tonnes CO2

£1045 M/y £42,857 M

Air quality Tonnes pollution removed

£767 M/y £24,951 M

Recreation Time spent at habitat

£291 M/y £13,193 M

Total £87,585 M

Selected toolsTool Flow

model ?Hotspots? Opportunity

maps?Valuation?

Viridianconsultancy

Y Y Y (Y)

NaturETradeweb map

Y Y (Y)

SENCEconsultancy

Y Y

InVESTFree - need expert

Y Y Y Y

EcoServ-GISFree - need expert

Y Y

Thank you


Provisioning Services

Habitat for supply

Condition Demand

Crops, livestock

Cropland, pasture Agricultural land class

Fishing Freshwater Water qualityTimber Production forestBiofuels Biofuel crops;

forestWater supply Grassland

(infiltration)Wetland (storage)(Forest – can be negative)

Soil compaction

Population served by catchment or aquiferWater scarcity


Regulating Services

Habitat for supply Condition Demand

Air quality Trees, hedges, shrubs Leaf area and structure

AQMA, busy road or built up areaPopulationHealth deprivation

Carbon storage

Trees, shrub, peat soil (bog, wetland)

Size / age of trees

Local climate Trees Close to buildingsHigh summer temperatures

Noise regulation

Trees, shrubs Between busy road and buildings


Biodiversity Habitat for supply

Condition Demand

Wildlife habitat

Semi-natural habitat

Water qualityBiodiversityConnectivityPatch sizeNoise, light, human disturbance

Conservation status

Pollination, Pest predators

Semi-natural habitat

Species diversityStructural diversityFlowering plants, long grass, beetle banks, dead wood, log piles

Close to crops (requiring pollination)

• Scoring– Natural Capital Planning Tool (testing)– Natural England Eco-metric (in development)– Natural Capital Standard for GI (prototype)

• Modelling– Free DIY tools: InVEST, ARIES, EcoServ-GIS– Proprietary tools: Viridian, SENCE, LUCI– Web maps: Co$ting Nature, NaturETrade

• Valuing– DIY Spreadsheets: GI-Val, BEST SuDS Tool– Specialist: iTree-Eco (trees); Orval (recreation)– Bespoke / consultancy

Tools

the tatton estate, 31 october 2017 alison smith ... · tools for assessing the benefits of natural...

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