TESSA Flashcards
(14 cards)
What does TESSA stand for?
Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment
What is TESSA and its main purpose?
TESSA is a low-cost, site-based toolkit to assess ecosystem services and inform decision-making, especially for conservation practitioners and non-experts.
Who developed TESSA and when?
Developed in 2009 by Cambridge, Darwin Initiative, RSPB, Southampton Uni, and partners like BirdLife International.
Who is TESSA for?
Non-expert conservation practitioners, including NGOs, land-use planners, forestry, fisheries, water managers, private sector, etc.
What are TESSA’s key characteristics?
Accessible, low-cost, participatory, rapid, robust, site-scale, comparative valuation using biophysical + economic data.
What are TESSA’s four main aims?
Help non-experts with limited capacity (low manpower/budget) to measure several ecosystem services rapidly, cheaply but robustly
Estimate difference between current state and plausible alternative(s)
Involve stakeholders and beneficiaries
Provide scientifically robust data for decision-making and monitoring
What ecosystem services does TESSA focus on?
Focuses on 8 key services:
1. Global climate regulation
2. Harvested wild goods
3. Water
4. Nature-based recreation
5. Pollination
6. Coastal protection
7. Cultural
8. Cultivated goods
What are the 8 steps in the TESSA process?
Scoping → Engage decision-makers → Preliminary Scoping Appraisal → Planning the full assessment → Identify alternative state → Method selection → Data collection (both current and alternative state → Analysis and communication of results.
How does TESSA compare to other tools?
- Collects field data
- Can be done in less time
- Does not focus on spatial outputs to reduce complexity of tools (e.g., maps)
- Does not require use of online tools or complex models
- Requires less technical expertise
Essentially low time demand and limited technical expertise needed.
What are the alternative states used in TESSA?
Plausible and often simplified descriptions of how the future may be developed based on the best available current information and a coherent and internally consistent set of assumptions about the key driving forces and the relationships.
Can be based on a narrative storyline provided by stakeholders.
Why are alternative states used in TESSA? Who typically provides this?
By understanding an alternative site, the consequences of decisions can be understood.
This is typically provided by stakeholders.
What can be used to show proportional change in services where different metrics are produced?
A rose diagram.
What are the limitations of TESSA?
- Limited services included (could include more ecosystem services)
- Doesn’t look into tipping points or time series
- Does not include values relating to physical and mental health
- Trade off between cost (time, resources), simplicity, utility vs. in-depth analysis and inclusion of complex factors
- May not provide the answers or the right kind of output you need to aid advocacy for conserving your site
How many sites have used TESSA?
Over 30+ (especially in Europe)
