1. Pier Paolo Franzese Department of Science and Technology Parthenope University of Naples, Italy pierpaolo.franzese@uniparthenope.it Assessing the environmental performance and sustainability of natural and human-dominated ecosystems: A biophysical and systems perspective PFUR – Faculty of Ecology 22 May 2015, Moscow, Russia

2. Parthenope University of Naples Dept. of Science and Technology

5. Gulf of Naples

6. Territorial context The Gulf of Naples

7. Pompei eruption 79 d.C.

8. The ecological point of view SYSTEM: A set of interacting components (von Bertalanffy, 1969) SYSTEMS THINKING: Added value is generated by interactions (H.T. Odum, 1983, 1996) Matter Energy Money Information

9. The thermodynamics point of view Open Systems 1)NEGHENTROPIC 2) AUTOPOIETIC 3) COGNITIVE Dissipative Structures (Prigogine, 1968)

10. The economic point of view ECONOMIC SYSTEMS NATURAL ECOSYSTEM Neoclassical Economics The importance of accounting for matter and energy flows! Matter and energy flows ECOSYSTEM ECONOMIC SYSTEMS Ecological Economics

12. Money Resources Where does wealth come from…?

13. Overexploitation and environmental footprint Sustainability science by focusing on a biophysical perspective

14. LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS MAN-MADE ECOSYSTEMS

15. Storages of natural capital Flows of ecosystem services Stock and flows: biophysical constraints to human development

16. Societies growth and collapse L’impero romano è durato per più di un millennio ed è crollato quando l’area di raccolta delle risorse non è stata più sufficiente a garantire il supporto ai suoi accresciuti consumi. Quando Giulio Cesare arrivò in Gallia (Francia) e oltre con il suo potente esercito, rendendo la potenza di Roma sempre maggiore, era consapevole di questa prospettiva? E’ molto probabile che il pensiero non lo abbia nemmeno sfiorato. Eppure, il declino è arrivato e l’Impero Romano è scomparso. Societies growth and collapse

17. low environmental loads Growth phase – fast growth, high net yields, low efficiency, increasing loads on environment Transition phase – declining growth rates, low net yields, increasing efficiency, decreasing environmental loads Transition phase – declining growth rates, low net yields, increasing efficiency, decreasing environmental loads Decline phase – negative growth rates, no net yields, maximum efficiency, low environmental loads Decline phase – negative growth rates, no net yields, maximum efficiency, low environmental loads Time Economic Production Economic Production

20. molecules organisms eco- systems economic users human society geologic systems Territory of support and influence Replacement time environmental window Environmental Assessment Understanding systems requires a multiple scale assessment......from local to global. All systems are supported by the lower levels and controlled by the higher levels We are therefore interested in local scale assessments, but we also need to look at systems from the next larger scale

21. Generic process/system Natural and human- driven inputs Main product Renewable / Non-Renewable Local / imported Sustainable Development Output / Inputs System Performance Co-products By-products

22. Accounting for resources: alternative notions of “value” EXERGY VALUE MONEY VALUE CONSERVATION VALUE

23. EMERGY VALUE (Odum, 1996) Rain Sun Accounting for resources: alternative notions of “value”

24. To make a golden ring: Abiotic MI of gold (*): 540 000 t/t Au Abiotic MI of diamonds (*) 5 260 000 t/t D * (electricity MI is not included) Direct and indirect resource use

25. Local an global impacts. The case of Alluminium. A final aluminium user: Italy Bauxite producers Bauxite producers + OPEC countries Bauxite producers + OPEC countries+ Al smelters

26. a) Answers depend on questions b) Results are method and boundary dependent Accounting methods The best method/indicator in absolute terms does not exist!

27. SUstainability Multimethod Multiscale Approach

28. Cropping systems

29. Farming systems

30. Forestry systems

31. Energy production systems

32. Bioenergy systems

33. Urban systems & metabolism

34. Ecosystem services assessment

35. Integrating environmental accounting and ecosystem services assessment

36. Human-driven inputs Natural inputs Labor & Services People supported GDP produced Waste and emissions Integrating environmental accounting and ecosystem services assessment

37. Because of the complexity of socioecological systems it is hard to believe that a single method/indicator can be sufficient to provide comprehensive information regarding their system performance and sustainability. A major effort towards the design of integrated accounting and assessment frameworks is required to explore in depth the relationships between social and natural ecosystems. Concluding remarks Be as much as possible inclusive! Cooperate with your colleagues from other disciplines… …after all, also in social and academic systems, the added value is generated by interaction!!! Take-home message

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