Ecosystem services of whales in the Arctic: co-production, valuation and governance

• Main Author: Malinauskaite, Laura
• Other Authors: Brynhildur Davíðsdóttir, Líf- og umhverfisvísindadeild (HÍ), Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences (UI), Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ), School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI), Háskóli Íslands, University of Iceland
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Iceland, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences 2021
• Subjects: Whale ecosystem services; Arctic coastal communities; Social-ecological systems; Ecosystem service valuation; Ecosystem services co-production; Interactive governance and governability; Hvalaskoðun; Vistkerfi; Sjávarbyggðir; Ferðaþjónusta; Umhverfisfræði; Auðlindafræði; Doktorsritgerðir; Arctic; Greenland; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/2617

The thesis examines the dynamics of Arctic social-ecological systems (SES) that enable human wellbeing benefits through whale ecosystem services (ES). It does so through a review of relevant literature, construction of conceptual models, two primary economic and socio-cultural whale ES valuation studies, and an assessment of whale ES governability. The results indicate multiple human wellbeing benefits and associated economic, socio- cultural and biophysical values derived from marine ecosystems through whale ES in selected case study communities in Greenland, Iceland and Norway. These benefits include but are not limited to tourism, education, cultural identity, community cohesiveness, commercial and indigenous whaling, biodiversity enhancement, ecosystem regulation, inspiration for arts, and existence values. The case studies demonstrate that they are obtained by communities through human-nature co-production of whale ES and governed by a multilayered web of formal and informal governance interactions. The social-ecological complexity revealed in the analysis of whale ES underlines the importance of context and plural ES values in Arctic marine resource governance. It also implies a necessity to study social and ecological phenomena together as one co-evolving Earth system. Following these observations, conceptual models were developed integrating elements of ES, their co-production, and interactive governance and governability theories. The results of the governability assessment reveal high complexity and dynamics related to whale ES, ability of actors to self-govern, and a need for reflective and adaptive governance regimes. The relevance of the methodology and conceptual models applied in this research extends beyond the Arctic and can be applied in other natural resource contexts. Í þessari doktorsritgerð er gangverk félagslegra vistkerfa á norðurslóðum sem gera mönnum kleift að njóta góðs af vistkerfisþjónustu hvala skoðað. Þetta var gert með því að rýna núverandi stöðu þekkingar á tengdum fræðum, ...