In complex coupled natural-human systems, drivers of change in one location can have profound effects on human well-being in distant locations, often across international borders. Migratory species are an example of telecoupling; as they travel, they provide substantial ecosystem services for people along their migratory pathways. Because of the dynamics of migration there may be mismatches between the areas that most support a migratory species’ population viability – and long term ability to provide ecosystem services – and the locations where the species provide the most services. Quantifying such telecoupled feedbacks can be achieved using the spatial subsidies approach which measures the degree to which ecosystem service provision in one location depends on habitat in another location. We have calculated spatial subsidies for three North American migratory speciesusing models of habitat distribution and dependence, and assessments of economic value of ecosystem services provided by these species. Our goal is to present managers with modeled scenarios of impacts on services and spatial subsidies to identify how they might alter land-use and conservation actions in response, and understand how the spatial subsidies concept might support the objectives of international cooperation to protect migratory species.
