Project member Dr. Daniel Cáceres was a key note speaker at the workshop “Quantification of Ecosystem Services: concepts and measurement” carried out on 10th-13th March 2014 in Costa Rica.
The workshop aimed at enhancing a common understanding of ecosystem services and their appreciation, quantification and valuation across tree cover transitions and spatial scales, including trade-offs and their application in development. More detailed objectives achieved during the workshop include:
1) First draft of protocols quantifying, evaluating and valuing water, carbon, soil conservation, useful productivity, timber and non-timber products along the forest transition curve and across multiple scales. Working groups responsible for completing these protocols for peer-review were also defined.
2) Reviewing of the perspectives on incentive mechanisms that feedback on drivers of land use change along the forest transition curve and that include multiple actors.
3) Linking approaches for quantification of ecosystem services with incentive mechanisms.
Besides Dr. Cáceres, the workshop counted on the participation of several expert scientists from reknown international institutions, such as the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) , Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Biodiversity International, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE).