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Galveston Bay Ecosystem Services Project is a new collaborative initiative between HARC and CTBS to research the valuation techniques of ecosystem services of the Galveston Bay-Estuary System.

The Galveston Bay Estuary is a unique and productive ecological system near the Houston-Galveston metropolis. It is one of Texas’ most valuable natural assets, encompassing many benefits to the surrounding region. These benefits, such as recreational opportunities, market activities, ecological functions and natural resources are collectively referred to as “ecosystem services.”

The Galveston Bay-Estuary System faces an increasing amount of impacts, ranging in severity across the entire region. The impacts stem from rapid population growth, development and an increase in economic activities, causing an impairment of ecosystem functions and valuable ecosystem services. These changes often go unnoticed, as the majority of the ecosystem services do not have specified market monetary values. The absence of a market price makes it difficult to examine the non-market values generated by the ecosystem services and are often disregarded in private and public sector decision making.

In order to overcome this, studies were done in the early ‘90s by the Galveston Bay National Estuary Program to analyze the economic value of improving environmental quality of Galveston Bay. The methods used to evaluate these values have advanced throughout the years, and an important opportunity exists to further understand these values, and provide management agencies and policy makers with the information needed to plan and implement efficient management strategies for the Galveston Bay watershed region.

In order to sufficiently achieve this goal, HARC and Texas A&M University at Galveston have joined forces to create the Galveston Bay Ecosystem Services Project. This initiative will use research and methodology advancements to look at the ecosystem services not supplying a direct monetary market value, but which are still considered of great importance to the region and in need of a management plan.

This first phase study will identify and catalogue various ecosystem functions and services encompassed within the Galveston Bay-Estuary System, and appropriate valuation methods will be matched to these services. In addition, an analysis of the replacement cost of non-market value ecological services will completed and the existing data of market valued ecological services will be analyzed.

This thorough analysis is designed to provide data on the invaluable Galveston Bay-Estuary System to assist managers, planners, policy-makers and more throughout the Galveston-Houston Region.

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-- “Ecosystem Services and Corresponding Valuation Methodologies for the Galveston Bay Estuary System.”

Click here for the PowerPoint presentation (317KB pdf) outlining the progress in the valuation of ecosystem services of the Galveston Bay Estuary System, created by Texas A&M graduate student and HARC intern, Elizabeth Shelton.

 

-- Ecosystem Services Annotated Bibliography (draft)

Click here for a comprehensive collection/literature search on ecosystem valuation methodologies. Topics include ecosystem services, valuation methodologies, market values and replacement costs. This document is the draft version, and the final will be made available soon.

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Valuation of Ecosystems Workshop 7/11/06

The CTBS collaborated with the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP) to present a day-long “Valuation of Ecosystem Services Workshop.”

The workshop was designed to present ideas on Galveston Bay ecological systems, and allow for discussions among its participants.

 

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Special Concurrent Workshop 7/11/06

The CTBS collaborated with the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP) to present a day-long “Valuation of Ecosystem Services Workshop.”

The workshop was designed to present ideas on Galveston Bay ecological systems, and allow for discussions among its participants.

 

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