The Ecosystem Services Inventory (ESI) is a credible, science-based estimation of the supply of ecosystem services in Alberta. It is based on an assessment system of data sets and models to help users understand the provision of specific ecosystem services, and the distribution of these services geographically across the province. Results are provided in a report or can be viewed in an online mapping application.
ABMI, together with their partners, have been working on maps and measures of five ecosystem services that are included in the ESI:
In addition, while not considered an ecosystem service, the ESI also includes the ABMI’s Biodiversity Intactness Index as a measure of the state, or health, of biodiversity for a given area of interest. The health of biodiversity is related to the supply of many ecosystem services, such as water purification and pollination.
The ESI provides information that can be used as part of land-use planning, sustainability reporting, or environmental programs that use a market-based approach. For instance, the tool estimates the current value for an ecosystem service, which can be used as a baseline for evaluating future changes; it can be used as a tool for communication; and it can also be used as part of planning to identify priority areas that supply ecosystem services for conservation. As a result, a range of potential users may be interested in the supply of ecosystem services, including:
Farmers/ranchers interested in ecosystem services and the implementation of beneficial management practices that support their provision, e.g., as part of on-farm planning requirements to participate in agricultural/environmental conservation programs.
Municipal governments interested in identifying and managing for desired environmental outcomes with respect to the supply of ecosystem services provided by agricultural lands, protected areas, and other land use designations.
Land trust organizations that use information on the provision of ecosystem services to identify priority areas for conservation.
The ESI tool provides science-based measures of ecosystem services for identified parcels of land which can support a range of applications.
The ESI involves three steps:
Select from pre-defined region types, and then from the associated regions or sub-regions. These include ecological and administrative planning regions such as municipalities, forest management agreement areas, caribou ranges, or watersheds. If you are a land owner, you may also select a specific area by entering a legal land description.
You have the option of selecting from one of five ecosystem services. Alternately, you can view the health of biodiversity for your area of interest by selecting biodiversity intactness (more on the ABMI’s Biodiversity Intactness Index here).
Once an area of interest and ecosystem service have been selected, view the results in one of two ways: through the ESI online web mapping application (ESI App) or by downloading a pdf report. The ESI App options lets you explore the supply of ecosystem services in an online mapping application. Alternatively, an ecosystem service status report can be downloaded without entering the ESI App. This report provides information on how the supply of that ecosystem services was estimated, a map of your area of interest, and ideas on management actions you might implement to enhance (increase supply) of that ecosystem service or biodiversity.