{"id":{"repo_id":"u-iceland","oai_identifier":"oai:skemman.is:1946/53235"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/u-iceland/oai:skemman.is:1946/53235","repository":{"repo_id":"u-iceland","name":"University of Iceland","base_url":"https://skemman.is/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Accounting for Wetlands in Biocapacity: Data Integration, Sensitivity Analysis, and Implications","abstract":"Wetlands play a critical role in climate regulation and ecosystem services provision. However, their transitional nature and variable hydrology complicate precise definition and consistent assessment across the globe, leading to data gaps and limited representation in environmental accounting frameworks. The Footprint (EF) and Biocapacity (BC) are paired sustainability indicators that together describe the balance between human demand on nature and the biosphere’s regenerative capacity. This thesis integrates wetlands as a distinct category in the Biocapacity framework using global datasets on wetland area and productivity to construct national accounts for Iceland, Sweden, and Germany from 1961 to the present. A sensitivity analysis evaluates how alternative data sources and methodological choices influence results relative to a 2022 reference scenario. Findings reveal that although Biocapacity outcomes are sensitive to spatial and methodological assumptions, wetland contributions remain largely overshadowed by larger and more productive land-use categories. The current Biocapacity system boundaries don’t adequately capture wetland functions or management histories through the omission of carbon stocks, land degradation and land-use emissions, challenging key assumptions of the framework and indicating the need for more nuanced representation of complex ecosystems. Nevertheless, including wetlands improves the framework’s potential to communicate wetland ecosystem service provision to the general public.","abstract_html":"Wetlands play a critical role in climate regulation and ecosystem services provision. However, their transitional nature and variable hydrology complicate precise definition and consistent assessment across the globe, leading to data gaps and limited representation in environmental accounting frameworks. The Footprint (EF) and Biocapacity (BC) are paired sustainability indicators that together describe the balance between human demand on nature and the biosphere’s regenerative capacity. This thesis integrates wetlands as a distinct category in the Biocapacity framework using global datasets on wetland area and productivity to construct national accounts for Iceland, Sweden, and Germany from 1961 to the present. A sensitivity analysis evaluates how alternative data sources and methodological choices influence results relative to a 2022 reference scenario. Findings reveal that although Biocapacity outcomes are sensitive to spatial and methodological assumptions, wetland contributions remain largely overshadowed by larger and more productive land-use categories. The current Biocapacity system boundaries don’t adequately capture wetland functions or management histories through the omission of carbon stocks, land degradation and land-use emissions, challenging key assumptions of the framework and indicating the need for more nuanced representation of complex ecosystems. Nevertheless, including wetlands improves the framework’s potential to communicate wetland ecosystem service provision to the general public.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Petra Dimitrova Toneva 1998-"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Háskóli Íslands"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-05-20T11:25:38Z","date_published":"2026-05-20T11:25:38Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:40:48Z","subjects":["Umhverfis- og auðlindafræði (námsgrein)","Votlendi","Vatnafar","Vistkerfi"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1946/53235","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Háskóli Íslands"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Petra Dimitrova Toneva 1998-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-05-20T11:25:34Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-05-20T11:25:34Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-05-20T11:25:38Z"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Umhverfis- og auðlindafræði (námsgrein)","Votlendi","Vatnafar","Vistkerfi"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1946/53235"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Wetlands play a critical role in climate regulation and ecosystem services provision. However, their transitional nature and variable hydrology complicate precise definition and consistent assessment across the globe, leading to data gaps and limited representation in environmental accounting frameworks. The Footprint (EF) and Biocapacity (BC) are paired sustainability indicators that together describe the balance between human demand on nature and the biosphere’s regenerative capacity. This thesis integrates wetlands as a distinct category in the Biocapacity framework using global datasets on wetland area and productivity to construct national accounts for Iceland, Sweden, and Germany from 1961 to the present. A sensitivity analysis evaluates how alternative data sources and methodological choices influence results relative to a 2022 reference scenario. Findings reveal that although Biocapacity outcomes are sensitive to spatial and methodological assumptions, wetland contributions remain largely overshadowed by larger and more productive land-use categories. The current Biocapacity system boundaries don’t adequately capture wetland functions or management histories through the omission of carbon stocks, land degradation and land-use emissions, challenging key assumptions of the framework and indicating the need for more nuanced representation of complex ecosystems. Nevertheless, including wetlands improves the framework’s potential to communicate wetland ecosystem service provision to the general public.","Votlendi gegna lykilhlutverki í loftslagsstjórnun og veitingu vistkerfaþjónustu. Hins vegar gerir umbreytilegt eðli þeirra og breytilegt vatnafarsmynstur það að verkum að erfitt er að skilgreina þau með nákvæmum hætti og meta á samræmdan hátt á heimsvísu. Þetta leiðir til takmarkaðra gagna og þess að votlendi eru illa eða aðeins að hluta tekin með í umhverfisreikningshaldi. Vistfótspor (EF) og líffræðileg framleiðslugeta (BC) eru samstæðir sjálfbærnivísar sem saman lýsa jafnvægi milli mannlegra áhrifa á náttúruna og endurnýjunargetu lífhvolfsins. Í þessari ritgerð eru votlendi samþætt sem sérstakur flokkur innan ramma líffræðilegrar framleiðslugetu, með notkun alþjóðlegra gagnasafna um flatarmál og framleiðni votlendis til að setja saman landsreikninga fyrir Ísland, Svíþjóð og Þýskaland frá 1961 til dagsins í dag. Næmnigreining metur hvernig mismunandi gagnagjafar og aðferðafræðilegar ákvarðanir hafa áhrif á niðurstöður miðað við viðmiðunarsviðsmynd fyrir árið 2022. Niðurstöður sýna að þrátt fyrir að útkoma líffræðilegrar framleiðslugetu sé næm fyrir forsendum um rýmisþætti og aðferðafræði, vegur framlag votlendis yfirleitt minna samanborið við stærri og afkastameiri landnotkunarflokka. Núverandi kerfismörk líffræðilegrar framleiðslugetu ná ekki nægilega að fanga virkni votlendis eða nýtingarsögu þess, þar sem kolefnisbirgðir, landhnignun og losun vegna landnotkunar eru ekki tekin með. Þetta ögrar lykilforsendum rammans og bendir til þörf fyrir ítarlegri framsetningu flókinna vistkerfa. Engu að síður eykur það möguleika rammans til að miðla upplýsingum um vistkerfaþjónustu votlendis til almennings að taka votlendi með sem sérstakan flokk."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Accounting for Wetlands in Biocapacity: Data Integration, Sensitivity Analysis, and Implications"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Háskóli Íslands"],"dc:creator":["Petra Dimitrova Toneva 1998-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-05-20T11:25:34Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-05-20T11:25:34Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-05-20T11:25:38Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Wetlands play a critical role in climate regulation and ecosystem services provision. However, their transitional nature and variable hydrology complicate precise definition and consistent assessment across the globe, leading to data gaps and limited representation in environmental accounting frameworks. The Footprint (EF) and Biocapacity (BC) are paired sustainability indicators that together describe the balance between human demand on nature and the biosphere’s regenerative capacity. This thesis integrates wetlands as a distinct category in the Biocapacity framework using global datasets on wetland area and productivity to construct national accounts for Iceland, Sweden, and Germany from 1961 to the present. A sensitivity analysis evaluates how alternative data sources and methodological choices influence results relative to a 2022 reference scenario. Findings reveal that although Biocapacity outcomes are sensitive to spatial and methodological assumptions, wetland contributions remain largely overshadowed by larger and more productive land-use categories. The current Biocapacity system boundaries don’t adequately capture wetland functions or management histories through the omission of carbon stocks, land degradation and land-use emissions, challenging key assumptions of the framework and indicating the need for more nuanced representation of complex ecosystems. Nevertheless, including wetlands improves the framework’s potential to communicate wetland ecosystem service provision to the general public.","Votlendi gegna lykilhlutverki í loftslagsstjórnun og veitingu vistkerfaþjónustu. Hins vegar gerir umbreytilegt eðli þeirra og breytilegt vatnafarsmynstur það að verkum að erfitt er að skilgreina þau með nákvæmum hætti og meta á samræmdan hátt á heimsvísu. Þetta leiðir til takmarkaðra gagna og þess að votlendi eru illa eða aðeins að hluta tekin með í umhverfisreikningshaldi. Vistfótspor (EF) og líffræðileg framleiðslugeta (BC) eru samstæðir sjálfbærnivísar sem saman lýsa jafnvægi milli mannlegra áhrifa á náttúruna og endurnýjunargetu lífhvolfsins. Í þessari ritgerð eru votlendi samþætt sem sérstakur flokkur innan ramma líffræðilegrar framleiðslugetu, með notkun alþjóðlegra gagnasafna um flatarmál og framleiðni votlendis til að setja saman landsreikninga fyrir Ísland, Svíþjóð og Þýskaland frá 1961 til dagsins í dag. Næmnigreining metur hvernig mismunandi gagnagjafar og aðferðafræðilegar ákvarðanir hafa áhrif á niðurstöður miðað við viðmiðunarsviðsmynd fyrir árið 2022. Niðurstöður sýna að þrátt fyrir að útkoma líffræðilegrar framleiðslugetu sé næm fyrir forsendum um rýmisþætti og aðferðafræði, vegur framlag votlendis yfirleitt minna samanborið við stærri og afkastameiri landnotkunarflokka. Núverandi kerfismörk líffræðilegrar framleiðslugetu ná ekki nægilega að fanga virkni votlendis eða nýtingarsögu þess, þar sem kolefnisbirgðir, landhnignun og losun vegna landnotkunar eru ekki tekin með. Þetta ögrar lykilforsendum rammans og bendir til þörf fyrir ítarlegri framsetningu flókinna vistkerfa. Engu að síður eykur það möguleika rammans til að miðla upplýsingum um vistkerfaþjónustu votlendis til almennings að taka votlendi með sem sérstakan flokk."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1946/53235"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["Umhverfis- og auðlindafræði (námsgrein)","Votlendi","Vatnafar","Vistkerfi"],"dc:title":["Accounting for Wetlands in Biocapacity: Data Integration, Sensitivity Analysis, and Implications"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:40:48Z"}