The services we focused on were carbon, water, nature-based tourism, timber and non-timber forest ...
SPECIAL EDITION Valuing the Arc (VTA) was a research programme that ran from 2007 to 2012 and mapped, modelled and valued ecosystem services within and flowing from the Eastern Arc Mountains, with the objective of informing decisions for sustainable management of the remaining natural habitats. The services we focused on were carbon, water, nature-based tourism, timber and non-timber forest ... [Show full abstract] products (charcoal, firewood, poles and thatch). Biodiversity modelling and calculation of the various costs of conservation were also undertaken to provide context. All services were mapped and modelled based on land cover and population around the year 2000, and hence this is a somewhat historical view of the service values as Tanzania's economy has changed rapidly over the recent years. Partners in the project were Sokoine University of Agriculture and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, the WWF offices in Dar es Salaam and Washington DC, and the following British Universities: Cambridge, York, East Anglia, Leeds and Cranfield. What was the Valuing the Arc Programme? This edition of the Arc Journal includes a series of articles summarising the results of a five year ecosystem services research programme called 'Valuing the Arc'. The project was overseen by a project steering committee that consisted of members of the Tanzanian government. The methods and results generated by VTA have been published primarily in the form of scientific papers, which are available on the project website (see below). This special issue of the Arc Journal aims to make summary results more widely available to conservationists, economists, policy makers and the general public in Tanzania. Further information on the programme is available through www.valuingthearc. org and www.naturalcapitalproject.org, with general information about the Eastern Arc Mountains on www. easternarc.or.tz. Valuing the Arc was funded by the Leverhulme Trust