This interdisciplinary toolkit on completing and using ES assessment for decision making was produced by Value of Nature to Canadians Study Taskforce and the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Governments of Canada. Lead authors Susan M. Preston and Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne compiled a technical guide to ecosystem services assessment and analysis that offers practical, step-by-step guidance for governments at all levels, as well as for consultants and researchers.
The approach is fully interdisciplinary, integrating biophysical sciences, social sciences, economics, and traditional and practitioner knowledge. It provides guidance on how to consider and incorporate ecosystem services analysis in a variety of different policy contexts such as spatial planning, environmental assessment, and wildlife management, among others. It contains numerous innovative tools and resources designed to enhance users’ understanding of ecosystem services and to support analysis and decision-making. Canadian examples are featured throughout the guide.
The toolkit is freely available online. You can download it here.