Results: Test-run in the Willamette Basin Some areas provide higher levels of services than others. The agriculture and timber maps show dollar values—high profit (black) to intermediate profit (green) to no profit (gray). The other services show relative scores—high levels of water quality control (light pink), flood control (light purple), biodiversity (dark brown), and carbon sequestration (dark green). Bundling shows where multiples services are produced. The bundled services map shows all services summed with equal weight to highlight the areas that produce multiple services (red). When some services are more important to society than others, they can be given more weight when “bundling.” Decision-makers can see how much will be gained and lost, who will benefit, and who will pay the price. The “more timber harvest” map shows the production of the same bundle of services under a potential timber harvest plan developed by local stakeholders. The “change” map shows which areas produce more (red) or less (blue) services after the timber harvest. Our Partnership & Our Vision We are working for a future in which natural systems are understood and conserved throughout the world for both their intrinsic values and their economic contributions to human well-being. If properly managed, Earth’s natural capital yields a flow of vital “ecosystem services.” Despite its importance, natural capital is poorly understood, scarcely monitored, and—in many places— undergoing rapid degradation. Often the value of ecosystem services is widely appreciated only upon their loss. As a result, natural capital is typically undervalued in land-use plans, policy decisions, and investments, if it is considered at all. New scientific methods, new governmental policies, and new financial instruments are needed. Combining the strengths of a leading research university and two of the world’s most experienced and effective conservation organizations, we are simultaneously developing new tools, applying them with partners on the ground, and magnifying our impact. Our Approach: Scenarios & Choices Identify critical choices that decision-makers or stakeholders face such as new land-use management, new government policies, or climate change. Assess the amount and value of services provided under each scenario. Maps help identify areas most important for the production of services and inform policies for the greatest return on investment in natural capital. Trade-off curves can help minimize conflict among sectors and potentially maximize benefit from land-uses for both people and the environment. Balance sheets reveal the trade offs and synergies among all services for the whole area in one simple table. Keeping It Simple: Tiered Data Requirements Enable Worldwide Use Tier 1 models for each service are simple, can be used with globally available data, and report relative service levels. Tier 2 and higher-level models require more detailed data and report actual service production levels and economic values. InVEST: “Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services & Tradeoffs” Our first scientific tool is a software system that supports strategic investment, land use, and conservation decisions. InVEST models and maps the delivery, distribution, and economic value of ecosystem services and biodiversity. InVEST requires basic data about the landscape, management practices, infrastructure, governance, and some data specific to each service. For more information, contact The Natural Capital Project: Liz Rauer, Communications Manager, or call Stakeholder Engagement Scenarios (Land Management, Climate, Population) Models STAGING MODELING REPORTING Outputs ~ Biophysical Economic Cultural Maps Tradeoff Curves Balance Sheets Biodiversity Habitats Species Provisioning Agriculture Drinking Water Cultural Recreation Tradition Supporting Pollination Erosion Control Regulating Carbon Sequestration Flood Mitigation Natural Capital Project site, North Shore Oahu, Hawaii InVEST can model and map: Aesthetic quality Agricultural Production Aquaculture Biodiversity Carbon Storage Coastal Protection Coastal Vulnerability Crop Pollination Cultural Resources Flood Mitigation Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) Water Supply Water Quality Timber Production Recreation T HE N ATURAL C APITAL P ROJECT Aligning Economic Forces with Conservation Simple Modeling reality Data reality Complex Tier 1Tier 2Tier 3 Relative Scores Services & $ Values