Recognizing value pluralism among ecosystem services experts and public stakeholders.

Noll, S., Z. Piso, I. Werkheiser, and C. Leshko.

Presented at the All Scientist Meeting (2013-04-04 to 2013-04-05 )

While the theoretical advantages and limitations of Ecosystem Service Management (ESM) are well documented within ESM literature, significant knowledge gaps persist with respect to the operationalization of ESM theory in public and institutional practices (Daily et al. 2009, Turner and Daily 2008). Across this literature, sustainability scholars primarily focus on the ecological, sociological, and economic facets of sustainability and tend to neglect issues surrounding values (Adams 2006, Vucetich and Nelson 2010). Values inform environmentally relevant beliefs and behaviors and play a significant role in establishing support for management practices and policies (Dietz, Fitzgerald, and Shwom 2005). Our proposed research explores the diverse values among ESM experts as well as farming communities in Michigan. Because values are informed by an individual’s social, ecological, historical, and political circumstances, no single value system is likely to capture the plurality of values held within and between uniquely situated communities (Haraway 1988; Harding 1991). Awareness and analysis of situated community values can help bridge the gap between ESM experts and public stakeholders in order to best operationalize ESM theory.