Using the Ecosystem Services Framework in a Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) Platform: Lessons from the Wadi Araba Desert, Israel and Jordan - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 284

Fig. 18.1 Ecological research conducted at the remaining Samar Sand Dunes in Israel, which
have high biodiversity value as well as high value for cultural ecosystem services (Photograph by
Elli Groner)
there was a crucial difference between the sites regarding their ecological value.
The Samar Dune, once 11 km 2 , is home (habitat) for a unique assemblage of species.
In the Samar example, ES and biodiversity were both provided as reasons for
avoiding mining. The Sasgon Valley is not unique in biodiversity (Nissim 2012 ).
As the quote above exemplifi es, the motivation to stop construction had little to do
with ecological consequences, but was due to its landscape and wilderness value.
In the Sasgon example, opponents to development were limited in their approach
when arguing biodiversity, but could harness the terminology of ES to argue against
the project (even though, in this case, ES provision was not based on biodiversity).
This is an example that biodiversity and ecosystem services may provide contrary
conclusions regarding management of a habitat.
Another example arose regarding the ES-biodiversity tradeoff in a debate regarding
constructing high tension electric wires through the center of the otherwise open
Ramon Crater nature reserve. A public campaign attempted to convince the electricity
company to bury the wires instead of erecting lines above ground. Ecologists
assessed that this option (burying) would cause extensive damage to biodiversity.
Managers were left deciding between biodiversity (underlying all ES) and landscape
beauty (a cultural ES). The public was vocally in favor of landscape.