Heʻeia (PC: Aimee Sato)
International frameworks such as the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (Ecosystem Accounts) (SEEA EA) and IUCN GET 2.0 set out a roadmap for globally consistent and comparable ecosystem accounting standards which offer a reliable way to assess changes in ecosystem “health”. Set against these international standards, there is currently uneven compliance and buy-in across the world, while research and large data gaps remain. My research advocates for Hawaiʻi to begin taking seriously natural capital accounting and ecosystem accounting.
The precipitous decline of native ecosystems in Hawaiʻi generates a strong need for conservation, however funding for such work have not kept pace with this need. Ecosystem accounts for Hawaiʻi if done well, can catalyze awareness, change, and redirect needed financial resources to address conservation priorities and needs.
Preliminary Findings
Extent
Like in many places in Oceania, data limitations constrained the ability of the ecosystem extent accounts to identify most of the IUCN Ecosystem Funtional Groups (EFG) present in the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI), except for one EFG, T7.4 (Urban and industrial ecosystems) (Keith et al., 2020). However, best available data used in the pilot extent accounts broadly cover 12 out of 42 EFGs existing in the MHI according to the IUCN. Ecosystem types accounted for in our study include- Developed, Grass/ Shrub, Tree Cover, Cropland, Pasture, Freshwater Wetlands, Estuarine Wetlands, and Barren.
Some highlights from 2013 and 2019 ecosystem extent accounts:
Conditions
Similar data limitations constrained the ecosystem condition accounts, with four condition variables for terrestrial EFGs (Burnt Area, Rainfall, Temperature, NDVI), and 14 for nearshore marine EFGs (Sea Surface Temperature, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Degree Heating Weeks, kd490, Chlorophyll-a, Coral Cover, Adult Coral Density, Coral Diversity, Juvenile Coral Density, Primary Consumers, Secondary Consumers, Planktivores, Piscivores, Total Disease Prevalence).
Some highlights from ecosystem condition accounts for Tree Cover ecosystem type:
