POtential Ecosystem Services and Impacts Evaluation (PoESIE) method

Pierre-Alexandre Willot (1) , Joël Aubin (1) , Aurélie Wilfart (1)

1 SAS - Sol Agro et hydrosystème Spatialisation

Pond fish farming is a declining activity in France. The diversity of its roles raises the question of whether the framework of ecosystem services (ES) could give a better visibility of the assets of this activity. The aim of this study is to propose a method called "Potential Ecosystem Services and Impacts Evaluation" (PoESIE)" to evaluate ES to clarify the ES provided by ponds in France. PoESIE is based on the combination of LCA and EA to assess jointly ES and environmental impacts, highlighting trade off associated to management practices in fish ponds. The PoESIE framework is based on the four steps of LCA: (i) Goal and scope consists of defining boundaries of the ecosystem of interest, the technosphere and the ecosphere that support it. Functional unit is defined as "to occupy and value a surface by supplying ES" (ha); (ii) Ecosystem inventory consists of quantifying the capture and emission of matter by the ecosystem and the technosphere, as well as the emergy value of each of these flows; (iii) Assessment step covers two stages. First, each material or energy flow is linked to an ES. Then, characterization factors are defined based on LCA impact categories to assess each ES. The emergy value of each flow is aggregated according to ES. Finally, each ES is assessed through two metrics: potential biophysical value and potential environmental work done to produce an ES. Environmental impacts assessment is performed by an attributional LCA; (iv) Interpretation follows the classic LCA step. The two metrics of each ES are compared and synergies and trade-offs among ES are analyzed. PoESIE was applied on 135 ponds grouped into five management classes. The main results show that each management class has his own impact and service pattern. The method shows trade-offs. For instance, intensive and semi-intensive managed ponds provide the best level of ES, and have moderate environmental impacts, but EA show poor sustainability performances. The proposed PoESIE method has shown its applicability to a slight anthropised system at the interface between the natural and the productive environment. Pond aquaculture can provide a good level of ES, mainly when ponds are managed in order to produce fish.

Mots clés: ecosystem services; life cycle assessment; emergy accounting; fishpond; sustainability

Domaines: Science des productions animales; Sciences de l'environnement

Pierre-Alexandre Willot, Joël Aubin, Aurélie Wilfart. POtential Ecosystem Services and Impacts Evaluation (PoESIE) method. 12th International Conference on Life Cycle Assessment of Food 2020 (LCA Food 2020) “Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems, Oct 2020, Berlin (virtual event), Germany. ⟨hal-03219814⟩