Natural Capital Database

A Source of Knowledge and Experience

The Natural Capital Project is compiling a database of conservation project case studies from around the world that specifically incorporate the goal of protecting life-support systems. Initially, the database will only contain case studies from WWF and TNC, but eventually it will also include information from projects completed or in progress by other NGOs, governments, and businesses.

Each conservation project case study included in the database is either explicitly designed to maintain an ecosystem service or use the ecosystem services approach strategically. A local water supplier, for example, could be persuaded to help WWF fund a reforestation project designed to increase habitat because it would also help keep their water supply clean.

Open Access on the Web

The Natural Capital Database will be offered as a universally accessible website. This will be an important step in scaling up the ecosystem services approach to conservation worldwide, allowing a wide range of users to learn from the valuable experiences of innovative conservation projects.

Database Uses

General

Each case study in the database will include information about its initial justification, design, implementation, and results. With little effort, users will be able to answer questions such as:

• • Who else is using the ecosystem services approach in my region?
  • What kinds of financial strategies are being used most successfully to promote water quality or flood control?

Analytical Studies

The database not only provides a storehouse of case studies of ecosystem service projects around the world for people to access, but also serves as a tool for new and exciting analyses about the use of ecosystem services in conservation. The database allows researchers to draw lessons learned from the extensive experience of conservation groups.

Natural Capital Project Lead Scientist, Heather Tallis is using the Natural Capital Database to lead our investigation of how ecosystem services are being used in conservation, specifically:

• • Which ecosystem services are NGOs, or their donors, targeting most often?
  • What motivates ecosystem service approaches?
  • What financial mechanisms (taxes, fees, payments, etc.) or institutional changes (caps, subsidies, etc.) have been used for which services?
  • How do these mechanisms change with habitat types or social setting?

Stanford University Ph.D. candidate, Rebecca L. Goldman is collecting most of the initial case studies in the Natural Capital Database through interviews and site visits. Her analysis is focusing on the differences between ecosystem service approaches to conservation and more traditional biodiversity approaches, including:

• 1. Are ecosystem service projects threatening traditional biodiversity conservation goals and approaches?
  2. Or do ecosystem service projects offer the promise of expanding conservation efforts?
     • a) Are they tapping into new revenue sources?
     • b) Do they use a wider range of financial and institutional tools to achieve conservation goals?
     • c) Do they incorporate a different set of landowners and landscapes than biodiversity projects; are they reaching ‘beyond reserves,’ encompassing working lands with the aim of harmonizing production and conservation activities?

Rebecca L. Goldman is also leading our effort to understand how framing a conservation project in terms of ecosystem services affects the project’s outcomes:

• • Does taking an ecosystem service approach lead to multiple outcomes (e.g. conservation as well as equity, benefits to human welfare)?
  • What nuances in organizational approach are possible given an ecosystem service frame (e.g. new funding, new partners, new entrepreneurs), that might not otherwise develop?