A Guide to Selecting Ecosystem Service Models for Decision-Making: Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa

Background

Ecosystem services provide critical resources that support human well-being; therefore, managing for them is vital. This report suggests that modeling may be an effective means of informing management when data is lacking, a problem that many developing countries experience.  

Goals & Methods

Targeting policy advisors and other decision makers in developing countries, this report aims to provide information on managing ecosystem services to assist non-experts in developing policy. To do so, the authors review various types of ecosystem service modeling tools. 

Conclusions & Takeaways

The report provides readers with a five-step  plan to help determine which model would be most effective in their decision-making context. Moreover, the authors highlight three critical takeaways: ecosystem service models are effective; they range in accuracy; and that decision-makers should take the model's uncertainty into account.