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Visual amenity services

Visual amenity services are the ecosystem contributions to local living conditions, in particular through the biophysical characteristics and qualities of ecosystems that provide sensory benefits, especially visual. This service combines with other ecosystem services, including recreation-related services and noise attenuation services to underpin amenity values. This is a final ecosystem service.

Benefits:

Ecosystem service:

Natural capital:

Atmosphere
Structural and biotic integrity
Land geomorphology
Ocean geomorphology
Soils and sediments
Species
Water

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Long term	Local to regional - the areas where wildfires occur
			Short term	Local to regional - impacts can be in the immediate vicinity but also can affect neighboring regions/countries

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Short - Long term	Local to global - local areas and regions differ in their emission of greenhouse gas emissions, however this form of pollution acts on a global scale
			Short - Long term	Local to global - emissions often occur locally, but atmospheric lifetimes are long enough for them to be transported across continents
			Short - Long term	Local to global - impacts can be observed ranging from local to global level

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Mid - Long term	Local - impacts can have local cooling and warming atmospheric effect
			Long term	Local to global - climate is changing on a global level, with some regions experiencing more rapid and/or intensive changes in weather than others
			Short - Long term	Regional to global - impacts are mostly observed at large regional levels but can also be global

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Short - Long term	Local - areas where terrestrial ecosystems are being used will be most impacted.
			Short - Long term	Local - areas where invasive species occur can act as fire agents that affecting the local area

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Mid - Long term	Local - impacts can negatively affect migratory species
			Short - Long term	Local to regional - impacts can be local but also further downstream.

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Short - Long term	Local to regional - impacts could be in the area of use or further up or downstream
			Short - Long term	Local to regional - impacts can favour certain species that can inhabit urban infrastructure
			Short - Long term	Local to regional - impacts can vary depending on the extent of the mining area
			Short - Long term	Local - impacts can negatively affect local habitat structure
			Long term	Local to global - climate is changing on a global level but some local-scale habitats are more resilient or more susceptible to change than others
			Mid - Long term	Regional - impacts affect large regions
			Short - Mid term	Local - areas no longer fit for purpose can be permanently impacted
			Short - Long term	Local - areas where invasive species occur can be impacted
			Short - Long term	Local to regional - impacts can affect species population and habitats
			Short - Long term	Local to regional - impacts have altered local- to regional-level ecosystem properties thrus affecting various functions
			Mid - Long term	Local to regional - areas with water abstraction, as well as areas in downstream regions, could be impacted

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Mid - Long term	Local to regional - impact can be in the local area but also further afield
			Short - Long term	Local - areas where pollutant inputs are observed can be impacted
			Mid - Long term	Local - areas where pollutant inputs occur can be impacted

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Mid - Long term	Local - impact can affect local insect population
			Mid - Long term	Local to regional - impact can be in the local area but also further afield
			Mid - Long term	Local - specific species that are selectively harvested for human use can impact local species population
			Mid - Long term	Local to regional - water use for agricultural production can impact local wetland species population

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Short - Long term	Local to regional – impacts could be in the area of the fish farm or further downstream
			Mid - Long term	Local - areas where terrestrial ecosystems are being used will be most impacted
			Short - Long term	Local to regional - diseases can be spread to wider regions through populations of infected species.
			Short - Long term	Local to global - impacts on species can be observed ranging from local to global level
			Short - Long term	Local - areas where disease afflicted-species reside can be impacted
			Short term	Local to regional - areas where invasive species occur can impact the local species

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Short - Long term	Local - areas with local pollutant inputs can be impacted
			Short - Long term	Local - impacts can be observed where certain species depend on certain habitat conditions
			Short - Long term	Local - specific species that are selectively used can impact other species population

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Short - Long term	Regional to global - impacts can affect downstream countries
			Short - Long term	Local to regional - land use change may have local and more wide ranging effects
			Long term	Local to regional - the areas where droughts occur
			Short - Long term	Local to regional - surface water abstraction could lead to impacts in downstream regions

Likely response	Effect of variability on services provision	Human action or natural variation	Timescale	Spatial Characteristics
			Short term	Local - water quality within the water column can have different properties due to local physical features
			Short - Long term	Local - areas where pollutant inputs are observed can be impacted along with downstream regions
			Short - Long term	Local - areas where pollutant inputs are observed can be impacted
			Short - Long term	Local to regional - impacts can be in the immediate vicinity but also can affect neighboring regions

Ecosystem components and types:

Mechanisms of change in state:

Changes in Ocean current and circulation

Droughts

Fires

Pollutants concentration change

Volcanoes

Weather conditions

Mechanisms of change in state:

Change in species composition

Change in species population size

Droughts

Fires

Flooding

Land /freshwater/ seabed area modification

Landslides

Ocean acidification

Pollutants concentration change

Storms

Volcanoes

Mechanisms of change in state:

Earthquakes

Flooding

Land /freshwater/ seabed area modification

Landslides

Volcanoes

Mechanisms of change in state:

Land /freshwater/ seabed area modification

Mechanisms of change in state:

Change in species composition

Change in species population size

Land /freshwater/ seabed area modification

Pollutants concentration change

Volcanoes

Mechanisms of change in state:

Change in species composition

Change in species population size

Diseases

Land /freshwater/ seabed area modification

Pests

Pollutants concentration change

Volcanoes

Weather conditions

Mechanisms of change in state:

Change in species composition

Change in species population size

Droughts

Pollutants concentration change

Sea level rise

Sea surface temperature

Storms

Volcanoes