Assessing Ecosystem Service Benefits from Military Installations

Abstract

Military bases provide substantial ecosystem services to local communities and other members of the public. This project conceptualizes and quantifies ecosystem services provided by U.S. military bases developing an integrated modeling platform called MoTIVES (Model-based Tracking and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services). MoTIVES manages probabilistic simulations of biophysical and economic models for relevant ecosystem services provided by alternative base management scenarios, and then assigns values where valuation is possible. The project demonstrated a proof of concept at Eglin Air Force Base, showing that current management provides approximately $110 million in ecosystem services per year, $40 million more than a scenario where no base was present, and $90 million more than a scenario where no base management was occurring.