The Challenges of Implementing Ecosystem Services in the Argentinean and Chilean Patagonia

Abstract

Implementation means turning the ecosystem service (ES) recognition into incentives and institutions that will guide wise investments and actions to conserve natural capital, on a large scale. Like many other countries, Argentina and Chile face a discrepancy between the conceptual understanding of ES in science and the limited implementation. This chapter reveals implementation gaps within the Patagonian region of Argentina and Chile and the blind spots that ES research faces in order to support implementation. The introductory section provides an overview of ES research worldwide and specifically, in Argentina and Chile. The second section reviews the blind spots in current published research conducted in Patagonia. The third section reports examples of ES implementation at the State, private, and society levels. The last section revises the main challenges for ES implementation.Implementation means turning the ecosystem service (ES) recognition into incentives and institutions that will guide wise investments and actions to conserve natural capital, on a large scale. Like many other countries, Argentina and Chile face a discrepancy between the conceptual understanding of ES in science and the limited implementation. This chapter reveals implementation gaps within the Patagonian region of Argentina and Chile and the blind spots that ES research faces in order to support implementation. The introductory section provides an overview of ES research worldwide and, specifically, in Argentina and Chile. The second section reviews the blind spots in current published research conducted in Patagonia. The third section reports examples of ES implementation at the state, private, and society levels. The last section revises the main challenges for ES implementation.