Engagement, Science & Assessment: Using the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute’s (ABMI) specialized ecological knowledge and expertise, the ESA Project enhanced and created knowledge to support the use of the assessment models, maps, and other tools in regional planning, market-based approaches, and sustainability reporting.
Ecosystems are complex, making them difficult to measure and assess. The ESA approach included clearly defining the ecosystem of interest and measuring it with consideration of how humans use or benefit from the service. The ABMI has used simulation models and maps to help understand ecosystem service (ES) supply and how ES supply might change with various land management activities. Once the supply is measured the value or benefit can be calculated. This value is determined based on the benefits humans receive.