{"id":1709,"date":"2025-01-07T14:55:05","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T14:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kpi-directory.shared-api-01.production.linode.unep-wcmc.org\/?post_type=kpi&p=1709"},"modified":"2025-01-08T16:53:23","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T16:53:23","slug":"ecosystem-condition-change-by-ecosystem-type","status":"publish","type":"kpi","link":"https:\/\/kpi-directory.shared-api-01.production.linode.unep-wcmc.org\/index.php\/kpi\/ecosystem-condition-change-by-ecosystem-type\/","title":{"rendered":"[Secondary] Ecosystem condition change, by ecosystem type"},"template":"","impact_area":[3],"sdg":[18,21,29,19,13],"class_list":["post-1709","kpi","type-kpi","status-publish","hentry","impact_area-biodiversity","sdg-18","sdg-21","sdg-29","sdg-19","sdg-13"],"acf":{"id":"BIO 02","units":"Change in condition, from baseline","rationale":"

Measuring changes in ecosystem condition at a site over time is one way to track changes in biodiversity. This is reflected in key guidance on metrics from the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures<\/a> (TNFD), the Aligning Accounting Approaches for Nature<\/a> project and the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA).<\/p>\n

Best practice guidance in biodiversity metrics acknowledges ecosystems and species metrics as key components for measuring the state of nature Ecosystem metrics can be divided into extent and condition metrics. While positive impact measures based upon ecosystem extent are simpler to assess (and are more heavily reflected in the Positive Impact Indicators Directory), it is important to complement them with condition metrics where possible. Measuring extent alone fails to account for changes in the quality of ecosystems.<\/p>\n

This indicator is aligned with the Nature Positive Initiative\u2019s proposed SON Metric Framework (SON A2 and S6 \u2013 Ecosystem condition change by ecosystem type).<\/p>\n

While this indicator needs to be considered and measurement processes constructed at a site level, it can also be summed across the portfolio by using condition-adjusted area (see below for details).<\/p>\n","methodology":"

Measurement approaches for ecosystem condition vary in their underlying methods (Align, 2023<\/a>), but here we will focus on methods that will enable the tracking of change in condition over the course of an investment. It is possible to estimate ecosystem condition indirectly, using global datasets that map pressures on ecosystems. However, these are generally not granular enough, nor updated quickly enough, to reflect changes in ecosystem condition within a project site of the course of an investment (for example, over a period of 3 \u2013 10 years). Therefore, on the ground data collection, specific to the ecosystem type, is necessary to gather meaningful impact data for this indicator.<\/p>\n

Metrics to assess ecosystem condition reflect three different elements of condition: composition, structure and function. The variables measured to assess these will vary site by site, depending on the type of ecosystem assessed. Measuring ecosystem condition therefore entails identifying relevant characteristics to assess, then developing indicators and metrics for those characteristics, and combining them to assess overall condition.<\/p>\n

Align (2023)<\/a>, following the SEEA methodology, gives the following definitions for composition, structure and function indicators. These are also reflected in TNFD guidance (2023, pg 133)<\/a>:<\/p>\n