##  [A Global Systematic Review of the Cultural Ecosystem Services Provided by Wetlands](/resource/global-systematic-review-cultural-ecosystem-services-provided-wetlands) 

Organization

[The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust](/organization/wildfowl-wetlands-trust)

[University of Lisbon](/organization/university-lisbon)

[Imperial College London](/organization/imperial-college-london)

[University of Plymouth](/organization/university-plymouth)

[University of Waterloo](/organization/university-waterloo)

[University of Querétaro](/organization/university-queretaro)

[Mississippi State University](/organization/mississippi-state-university)

[Cardiff University](/organization/cardiff-university)

[University of Exeter](/organization/university-exeter)

[Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) (Spanish National Research Council)](/organization/consejo-superior-de-investigaciones-cientificas-csic-spanish-national-research-council)

[Rhodes University](/organization/rhodes-university)

[Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)](/organization/leibniz-institute-freshwater-ecology-and-inland-fisheries-igb)

[Charles Sturt University](/organization/charles-sturt-university)

[The Ramsar Convention Secretariat](/organization/ramsar-convention-secretariat)

[Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM) (State University of Maringá)](/organization/universidade-estadual-de-maringa-uem-state-university-maringa)

[Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU)](/organization/ritsumeikan-asia-pacific-university-apu)

 

 

Resource Type

[Peer reviewed article](/taxonomy/term/37)

 

 

Author(s)

Kevin Wood

Lucy Jupe

Francisca Aguiar

Alexandra Collins

Scott Davidson

Will Freeman

Liam Kirkpatrick

Tatiana Lobato-de Magalhães

Emma McKinley

Ana Nuno

Jordi Pagès

Antonella Petruzzella

Dave Pritchard

Jonathan Reeves

Sidinei Magela Thomaz

Sara Thornton

Hiromi Yamashita

Julia Newth

 

 

Original Authors

Kevin Wood

Lucy Jupe

Francisca Aguiar

Alexandra Collins

Scott Davidson

Will Freeman

Liam Kirkpatrick

Tatiana Lobato-de Magalhães

Emma McKinley

Ana Nuno

Jordi Pagès

Antonella Petruzzella

Dave Pritchard

Jonathan Reeves

Sidinei Magela Thomaz

Sara Thornton

Hiromi Yamashita

Julia Newth

 

 

Contacts

[Kevin Wood](/contact/kevin-wood)

 

 

Resource Date:

2024

 

 

Wetlands make a disproportionately large contribution to global biodiversity and provide critical ecosystem services for humanity. Yet, our understanding of the cultural ecosystem services (CES) provided by wetlands remains limited, with benefits often only recognised at local scales. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a global systematic review of wetland CES. Our synthesis addressed key questions related to the provision of CES by different types of wetlands, their economic value, their co-occurrence and associations with other ecosystem services, threats to the provision of CES by wetlands, as well as the availability and use of CES information. Based on 861 published papers (1968–2022) in 17 languages, we found evidence of CES provided by wetlands in 175 countries and territories, highlighting that wetlands are globally important for the provision of CES. Recreation/tourism was the most frequently reported CES (40 %), with cultural identity/heritage (16 %) and education/learning/knowledge (13 %) also well-represented. In contrast, examples of sense of place (4 %) and bequest (4 %) were least frequent. Our synthesis of published estimates yielded a mean of £57262 ha−1 yr−1 for the cultural benefits of wetlands; however, this mean should be interpreted with caution given that we documented a very wide range of estimates for each CES type of <£1–£1065205 ha−1 yr−1. Threats to wetland CES were documented in 45 % of papers, and included wetland destruction, pollution, and climate change. The probability that a CES paper would be available open access, and the probability that a published paper featured at least one author affiliated with the country where the study was conducted, both varied significantly among continents and publication years. Conservation outcomes related to CES featured in 13 % of papers, whilst 10 % made policy/management recommendations. Our study highlights the links between wetlands and human culture, emphasising their importance in motivating future wetland creation and restoration.