Shifting ecosystem services through time in the North West uplands and implications for planning adaptation in the future

摘要

Environmental historians and palaeoecologists have argued for a long-term approach tothe understanding of nature conservation designations and environmental management,favouring long-term views of ecological dynamics. This contrasts with the approach ofplanning for stasis and stability within reserve-based nature conservation. The currentshift to 'an ecosystem services and ecosystem function approach advocated via recentDefra policy proposals in the wake of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA)may allow for a more dynamic focus. Local historical evidence for shifts in ecosystemservices from North West England, and recent stakeholder discussions of possible futurechanges demonstrate that ecosystem services have shifted through time in upland pastorallandscapes and will need to continue to shift in the future due to economic imperativesfrom regional, national and international drivers.