Table 1.
Benefit indicators and measurements for example restoration sitesa
| Benefit indicator question | Indicator metric(s) | Site A | Site B | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood risk reduction | ||||
| Q1 Are people able to benefit? | ||||
| 1.1 Is functioning sufficient? | Can the site retain water that will affect floodplain? (Y/N)b | Y | Y | |
| 1.2 Is there demand? | Are there people in floodplain within 4 km downstream? | Y | Y | |
| Q2 How many people benefit? | Number of homes in floodplain within 4 km downstream | 4 | 25 | |
| Q3 By how much do people benefit?c | ||||
| 3.1 Quality of the ecosystem service | Size (ha) of site | 1.55 | 0.22 | |
| Features that increase water retention? (Y/N)b | Y | Y | ||
| 3.2 Availability and quality of substitutesd | Number of dams and levees within 4 km downstream | 1 | 3 | |
| Percentage of area within 4 km radius that is wetlands (%) | 13.4 | 9.0 | ||
| Scenic views | ||||
| Q1 Are people able to benefit? | ||||
| 1.1 Is functioning sufficient? | Does site have scenic features? (Y/N)b | Y | Y | |
| 1.2 Is there demand? | Is the site visible from homes, roads, or trails? | N | Y | |
| Q2 How many people benefit?e (divided into distance bands to account for distance decay of benefits) | Number of homes within 50 m of site | 0 | 1 | |
| Number of homes between 50 and 100 m of site | 0 | 9 | ||
| Roads or trails within 100 m of site | N | Y | ||
| Q3 By how much do people benefit?c | ||||
| 3.1 Quality of the ecosystem service | Does the site have features or characteristics of scenic interest? (Y/N; note features)b | NAe | Y | |
| 3.2 Availability and quality of substitutesd | Percentage of area within 200 m of site that is wetlands | NAe | 7.9 | |
| 3.3 Availability and quality of complements | Number of natural land use types within 200 m of site | NAe | 5 | |
| Environmental education | ||||
| Q1 Are people able to benefit? | ||||
| 1.1 Is functioning sufficient? | Will the site support features of educational interest? (Y/N)b | Y | Y | |
| 1.2 Is there demand? | Is there demand for environmental education in this location? (Y/N)b | N | Y | |
| Q2 How many people benefit?e | Number of educational institutions within 400-m radius of site | 0 | 2 | |
| Q3 By how much do people benefit?c | ||||
| 3.1 Quality of the ecosystem service | Does the site have features of educational interest? (Y/N; note features)b | NAe | Y | |
| 3.2 Availability and quality of substitutesd | Percentage of area within 800 m of site that is wetlands | NAe | 4.9 | |
| 3.3 Availability and quality of complements | Will the site have complementary infrastructure (educational signs, etc.)? (Y/N; note features)b | NAe | Y | |
| Recreation | ||||
| Q1 Are people able to benefit? | ||||
| 1.1 Is functioning sufficient? | Could the site support recreational activities? (Y/N)b | Y | Y | |
| 1.2 Is there demand? | Are there nearby people who might use the site for recreation? (Y/N)b | Y | Y | |
| 1.3 Will required complementary features be available at the site? | Does the site have appropriate access and facilities for recreation? (Y/N)b | N | Y | |
| Q2 How many people benefit? (divided into distance bands to account for distance decay of benefits) | Walking: Number of homes within 500 m of site | 34 | 766 | |
| Driving: Number of homes between 500 and 800 m of site | 90 | 787 | ||
| Number of homes between 0.8 and 10 km of site | 38992 | 102518 | ||
| Access: Bike trails within 500 m of site | N | Y | ||
| Bus stops within 500 m of site | N | Y | ||
| Q3 By how much do people benefit?c | ||||
| 3.1 Quality of the example site | Size of site and adjacent green space (ha) | 16872 | 18.2 | |
| 3.2 Availability and quality of substitutesd | Percentage area of green space within 1000 m | 69.6 | 31.2 | |
| Percentage area of green space between 1000 and 1600 m | 81.5 | 51.3 | ||
| Percentage area of green space between 1.6 and 20 km | 66.9 | 57.4 | ||
| 3.3 Availability and quality of complements | Quality of access and facilities (L/M/H; note features)b | NA | M | |
| Bird watching | ||||
| Q1 Are people able to benefit? | ||||
| 1.1 Is functioning sufficient? | Will the site support bird species of interest? (Y/N)b | Y | Y | |
| 1.2 Is there demand? | Are nearby people interested in bird watching? (Y/N)b | Y | Y | |
| Q2 How many people benefit? | Number of homes within 300m of site | 8 | 298 | |
| Roads or trails within 300m of site | Y | Y | ||
| Q3 By how much do people benefit?c | ||||
| 3.1 Quality of the ecosystem service | Will the site support rare or unique species? (Y/N)b | N | N | |
| 3.2 Availability and quality of substitutesd | Without additional expert input, this question may be beyond the scope of a rapid approach, because nearby sites may support rather than substitute for additional habitat. | NA | NA | |
| 3.3 Availability and quality of complements | Are there features such as viewing platforms available? (Y/N; note features)b | N | N | |
| Social equity and reliabilityf | ||||
| Q4 What are the social equity implications? | Measured with the Social Vulnerability Index: values are % of people falling in low-, medium-, or high-vulnerability category, based on demographics and other factors. |
Low | 81.3 | 16.6 |
| Medium | 0 | 72.3 | ||
| High | 18.7 | 11.0 | ||
| Q5 How reliably will services be provided over time? | Assurance that a site will continue to provide benefits overtime, in the face of development stressors. Measured in portion (percentage) of property within 150 m of site designated with conservation, parks and open space, reserve, or water land use categories. | 64.5 | 19.9 | |
a
Data sources are listed in Supplemental Data.
b
These indicators are not calculated with GIS but need to be determined with best professional judgment. We have made assumptions regarding the answers for the purposes of illustration.
c
Additional information could be added to assess people’s strength of preference for this example site, if available, as part 4 of this question.
d
Higher numbers for substitutes indicate lower relative value for the site.
e
Because site A is not within visible range of homes or roads and is not accessible to school children, it will not provide scenic view benefits or educational benefits.
f
Evaluated at the site scale rather than for each service.