Erosion Control
SEEA EA
Name Used: see Soil Erosion Control Services, a sub-category of Soil and Sediment Retention Services
Service Category: Regulating and maintenance services
Definition: The ecosystem contributions, particularly the stabilizing effects of vegetation, that reduce the loss of soil and sediment and support the use of the environment such as agricultural activity and water supply. This may be recorded as a final or intermediate service.
See Valuation Methods Appendix for Economic Value, Valuation Methods, and Metrics.
CICES
Name Used: Regulation of Baseline Flows & Extreme Events
Service Category: Regulation and Maintenance
Definition: Regulation of Baseline Flows and Extreme Events refers to the ecosystem's role in controlling various environmental dynamics and reducing associated risks. This encompasses control of erosion rates, buffering and attenuation of mass movement, hydrological cycle and water flow regulation, as well as storm and fire protection—all of which are measured by metrics like risk reduction and the area protected. Additionally, the regulation extends to the management of mass, liquid, and gaseous flows, quantified by their respective types and amounts. Together, these functions contribute to the stability and resilience of ecosystems against both regular and extreme environmental events.
Economic Value Calculated: No
Valuation Methods: n/a
Metrics: included in definition
ESVD 2020
Name Used: Erosion prevention
Service Category: Regulating
Definition: “erosion prevention”
Economic Value Calculated: Yes
Valuation Methods: The ESVD 2020 report offers a total of 4,042 value estimates, with 67 specific to erosion prevention. See the Valuation Methods Appendix.
Metrics: $/ha/yr; ESVD is working on other qualitative and quantitative metrics.
Name Used: Moderation of extreme events
Service Category: Regulating
Definition: Moderation of extreme events as categorized by TEEB in ESVD include Storm protection, Flood prevention, Fire Prevention, Prevention of extreme events (unspecified).
Economic Value Calculated: Yes
Valuation Methods: The ESVD 2020 report offers a total of 4,042 value estimates, with 116 specific to moderation of extreme events. See the Valuation Methods Appendix.
Metrics: $/ha/yr; ESVD is working on other qualitative and quantitative metrics.
FEMA ESV 2022
Name Used: Erosion Control
Service Category: Regulating
Definition: Retaining arable land, slope stability, and coastal integrity
Economic Value Calculated: Yes
Valuation Methods: Meta-Analysis, Market Price, Avoided Cost, Replacement Cost
Metrics:
Forest: Taye et al. (2021) conducted a meta-analysis on forest ecosystem services, covering 624 values from 261 global studies. The "mass flow regulation" value was reported in 2017 USD/hectare/year and converted to 2021 USD/acre/year based on the global mean from the study's Table 3.
Urban and Rural Green Open Space: Pimentel et al. (1995) used market prices to assess U.S. soil erosion costs, considering factors like land slope and vegetation. The study found that converting grasslands to cropland and other human activities exacerbated nutrient and water loss. It concluded that U.S. erosion costs exceed global averages.
Riparian: The value is based on avoided costs to both farmers and society, including reduced road maintenance and dredging costs for shipping channels. Although localized, the study suggests that such dredging costs are relevant across major U.S. river basins due to their drainage to ports requiring significant dredging.
IPBES NCP
Name Used: Formation, protection and decontamination of soils and sediments
Service Category: Regulating NCP (Regulation Of Environmental Processes)
Definition: Formation, protection against erosion or salinization, stabilization, structure improvement and decontamination, by ecosystems, of soils and sediments. These actions determine their suitability for human infrastructure and for plant growth, affecting both cultivated and non-cultivated plants of importance to humans.
Economic Value Calculated: No
Valuation Methods: n/a
Metrics: Soil erosion rate, Soil organic carbon stocks
Name Used: Regulation of hazards and extreme events
Service Category: Regulating NCP (Regulation Of Environmental Processes)
Definition: Regulation, by ecosystems, of the frequency, magnitude or impacts on people, of extreme events. This includes storms, floods, landslides, avalanches, forest fires, heatwaves, and disease outbreaks. Ecosystems play roles in reducing vulnerabilities, buffering impacts or facilitating recovery after an event.
Economic Value Calculated: No
Valuation Methods: n/a
Metrics: Risk reduction by ecosystems, Extent of natural barriers
ENCORE
Name Used: Mass stabilisation and erosion control
Service Category: Regulation & Maintenance
Definition: Delivered through vegetation cover protecting and stabilizing terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems, coastal wetlands and dunes. Vegetation on slopes also prevents avalanches and landslides, and mangroves, sea grass, and macroalgae provide erosion protection of coasts and sediments.
Economic Value Calculated: No
Valuation Methods: Reduction of damages, avoided costs, and avoided sediment pollution
Metrics:
TNFD Environmental Assets & Ecosystem Services
Uses SEEA EA
InVEST
Name Used: Sediment Retention
Service Category: Ecosystem Services, Water Quality
Definition: Estimates the capacity of a land parcel to retain sediment based on variables such as geomorphology, climate, vegetative coverage, and management practices. It focuses on overland sediment generation and its delivery to streams, aiming to guide improved land management practices.
Economic Value Calculated: Yes
Valuation Methods: Avoided mitigation costs, replacement costs, willingness to pay
Metrics: Sediment load delivered to streams annually, amount of sediment eroded in the catchment, amount of sediment retained by vegetation and topographic features.
Swiss Re BES Index
Name Used: Erosion Control
Service Category: Regulating Service
Definition: The role of terrestrial ecosystems in reducing erosion risks.
Economic Value Calculated: No
Valuation Methods: n/a
Metrics: Erosion Risk Reduction (-) as an indicator. Ability of different habitats to reduce erosion risk.
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