Linking functional diversity and social actor strategies in a framework for interdisciplinary analysis of nature's benefits to society

Although virtually all scientists recognize the importance of biodiversity at large, not all aspects of biodiversity are equally important to different actors and ecosystem services. This study attempts to embrace the multiple dimensions of biodiversity by providing a matrix-based model for quantifying and integrating social and ecological information that can be used to negotiate conflicting land issues among multiple social actors. Demonstrates the method's applicability by way of land use examples from temperate to sub-tropical South America, a region of rapid social and ecological change.