Linking governance and ecosystem services: The case of Isla Mayor (Andalusia, Spain)

The widespread use of the Ecosystem Services (ESs) Framework in research studies has highlighted the fundamental role ecosystems play in the provision of human well-being. However, the long-term maintenance of healthy and resilient ecosystems requires more attention to the role played by human systems and their management practices on ecosystem functions. In this paper, we aim at advancing the understanding of how governance configurations relate to ESs. We focus on identifying institutions and rules that have triggered transformation in the supply and demand of ESs. For our case study, we have chosen Isla Mayor's social-ecological system, a small southern Spanish municipality with an intensive rice cultivation tradition, territorially linked (adjacent) to the bigger marshland National Park in the EU: “Doñana”. Our empirical analysis points to an enhancement of, and increased interaction among different ESs: (1) paddies as suitable living and feeding space for birds, (2) provision of quality rice, (3) local-based tourism principally aimed at bird watching in paddies and gastronomy. These improvements come with a co-managed multi-level governance system facilitating within and cross-scale interactions and the development of bridging institutions. Particularly, the way in which local actors adapt to new governance structures and rules, developing their own paths, becomes an essential explanation for the development of - apparently - more sustainable practices.