Resources

Grasslands Conservation Exchange: A Pilot Project

Created Sept. 15, 2021

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This brochure offers a comprehensive overview of how the Grasslands Conservation Exchange works.

A Roadmap for Quantifying Soil Organic Carbon Change as an Ecosystem Service on Grasslands and Pastures

Created Dec. 18, 2020

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This recently released report outlines a recommended roadmap towards efficient quantification of soil organic carbon (SOC) from beneficial management practices (BMPs) on Canadian forage and grasslands (hereafter collectively termed ‘grasslands’) as an ecosystem service. The fundamental objective of this work is to enable environmental markets for BMPs employed on Canada’s grasslands.

Summary of Report on Conservation Markets User Needs Assessment

Created July 23, 2020

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This is a summary of the report prepared by Stratos Inc. for Alberta Innovates in October 2019 that assesses the potential need for the use of conservation markets through interviews of a select group of nearly 40 participants from industry, agriculture, financial and insurance institutions, municipalities, consulting and academia.

Summary of Report on Bolstering Green Finance in Alberta

Created July 23, 2020

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This is a summary of the report prepared by the Mullion Group in July 2019 for Alberta Innovates which reviews ways that green finance can help conservation markets and bolster Green Finance activities in Alberta.

EcoServices Network Engagement Workshops Agenda

Created Feb. 13, 2020

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Agenda for the February 25 and February 27, 2020 ESN engagement workshops.

Summary and Highlights of the Grasslands Conservation Markets Symposium

Created Jan. 20, 2020

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On November 19 and 20, 2019, the EcoServices Network (formerly Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Network), hosted the Grasslands Conservation Market Symposium and Think Tank, in Calgary, Alberta. The purpose of the Symposium was to foster partnerships that will establish a prairie grassland conservation marketplace. This summary report provides an overview of the symposium presentations.

Wyoming Conservation Exchange: Kristi Hansen

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Transmission Lines and Grasslands: Aaron Anderson

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Symposium Opening Remarks: Marian Weber

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

IMWEBs Model and Ecosystem Services Market: Shawn Shao

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Grassland Ecosystem Services and Values at Risk: Ed Bork

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Grassland Conservation 2019: Alberta Conservation Association

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Demonstration Grasslands: Toni Anderson

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Challenges to Gaining Food Sector Participation in Conservation Markets: David Smith

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef: Bob Lowe

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Canadian Grasslands Protocol: Karen Haugen-Kozyra

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Biodiversity Metrics for Conservation Markets: Shannon White

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Accelerating Trust in a Sustainable Future: Deborah Wilson

Created Dec. 3, 2019

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Presented at the 2019 Grassland Conservation Markets Symposium in Calgary November 19 & 20.

Economic Benefits of Honey Bees in Alberta

Created Oct. 30, 2019

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As a commercially managed insect, honey bees offer ecosystem services akin to their wild counterparts. This report, commissioned by the Alberta Beekeepers Commission, evaluates the gross economic benefits of managed honey bees in Alberta. It is intended as a first step toward targeted engagement with primary producers in Alberta on the merits of honey bee activity in the province.

Assessing the Ecosystem Service Benefits of the COSIA LEAP Program Phase 2: Interim Report 2 of 3

Created June 12, 2017

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This discussion paper reflects the results of the second goal of Phase 2. Goal 1 was met in 2015 with the release of Interim Report 1 of 3 and the development of the 7-Step Selection Criteria Process that links community values directly to ecosystem change and the services that are provided from that change.

Assessing the Ecosystem Service Benefits of the COSIA LEAP Program Phase 2: Interim Report 1 of 3

Created Oct. 20, 2016

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This discussion paper reflects the results of the first goal of Phase 2. To meet Goal 1, we have developed criteria for selecting Ecosystem Services (ES) and indicators for assessment, making the process repeatable and transparent through selection criteria templates.

Sharing the Range with Bears and Wolves in Southwestern Alberta

Created July 6, 2016

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Managing the land in southwestern Alberta for biodiversity and provision of ecosystem services is key to the sustainable future of Waterton Biosphere Reserve. Large carnivores are an integral part of the landscape, and an understanding of, and ability to monitor populations of bears and wolves is a critical part of assessing their contribution to and impact on local ecosystems and communities.

Diversity and abundance of native bees in Alberta's prairies

Created Feb. 25, 2016

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Poster on native bee research in Alberta

Brochure: Alberta's Living Laboratory Project

Created Feb. 23, 2016

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This brochure provides an overview of Alberta's Living Laboratory Project, which aims to restore wetlands in Rocky View County, Alberta. The project will use a market-based instrument known as a "reverse auction"and state-of-the-art science to target and restore wetlands on private lands.

Brochure: What is a Wetland?

Created Feb. 23, 2016

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This brochure is aimed at landowners in Rocky View County, Alberta, who may be interested in participating in a wetland restoration program. Since wetlands are known by many terms in the area (e.g., sloughs, potholes) and since wetland benefits were not always well understood, this brochure aims to clarify what wetlands do and why this project would like to restore them.

Brochure: What is a Reverse Auction?

Created Feb. 23, 2016

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This brochure is aimed at landowners in Rocky View County, Alberta, who may be interested in participating in a reverse auction for wetland restoration. The brochure describes the bid submission process for this market-based instrument and the types of considerations landowners may make when participating.

Alberta's Living Laboratory Wetlands Project

Created Feb. 17, 2016

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Currently in progress, the Alberta's Living Laboratory Wetlands project examines the new Alberta Wetland Policy, and tests the use of a market-based instrument (a reverse auction) in meeting the restoration requirements of the policy. The reverse auction will take place in 2016.

Assessing the Ecosystem Service Benefits of the Algar LEAP Project - Phase 1 Report

Created Jan. 6, 2016

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Phase 1 of ‘Assessing the ES Benefits of the Algar LEAP Project’ (ES Phase 1) was a pilot project that attempted to answer a few important land restoration questions, including: What are the outcomes for ES associated with land restoration? What are the benefits and costs? Will land restoration play a key role in Alberta’s conservation offsets market? Read the Phase 1 report here.

Market Based Instruments

Created Dec. 15, 2015

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Market-based Instruments (MBIs) represent the basket of policies which can be developed and implemented by government to incorporate ecosystem degradation into the day to day decisions of resource users. When resources such as land, air and water are not properly or fully priced in the actions of the marketplace they tend to be over used or abused. Content Provided by Dr. Ken Nicol

Ecofiscal Policy

Created Dec. 15, 2015

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Ecofiscal policies corrects market price signals to encourage the economic activities we do want (job creation, investment, and innovation) while reducing those we don’t want (greenhouse gas emissions and the degradation of our land, air and water quality). Content provided by: Dr. Ken Nicol

Ecosystem Service Selection Criteria

Created Nov. 26, 2015

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The selection criteria template was created to assess the applicability of the ecosystem service (ES) and the indicator chosen for the case study area. The template links stakeholder values to ES, and those ES are in turn linked to indicators (demand and supply) that can show a measurable change over time.

Ecosystem Services Assessment Project

Created Nov. 20, 2015

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The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) has started to map, measure, and value several ecosystem services across Alberta.

Opportunities to Move Forward with Conservation Offsets in Alberta

Created Nov. 20, 2015

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The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) requested the development of this white paper to look at barriers and opportunities to move forward with the use of conservation offsets in Alberta. Submitted by Morris Seiferling BSc, MBA, PAg, IAP2. May 2015

Ecosystem Services And Indicators Selection Process

Created Nov. 13, 2015

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The Ecosystem Services and Indicators Selection Process is a repeatable, transferable exercise for the identification and selection of appropriate ecosystem services (ES) and indicators for an ES assessment project. It is a step-by-step process flowing from site identification through selection of ES indicators for assessment.

Blog

An Overview of the 2023 Investing in Ecosystem Services Workshop

Published on Jan 22nd, 2023

On January 18, 2023, Land Stewardship Centre and the EcoServices Network hosted the Investing in Ecosystem Services Workshop in Edmonton for producers, land managers, government and non government stakeholders that ...

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