Spatial Subsidies of Ecosystem Services Provided by Transboundary Migratory Northern Pintails

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. Here, we use a new approach—spatial subsidies—to measure the degree to which a migratory species’ ability to provide services in one location depends on habitat in another location. We calculated spatial subsidies for a migratory species: Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) that migrates between the U.S. and Canada. We modeled habitat dependence, and assessed the economic value of pintail ecosystem services (viewing, and hunting). We found that pintails provide >$48 million/year, predominantly in the U.S. The Prairie Potholes breeding region (in Canada and the northern U.S.) was the most important for population viability. Finally, we found that U.S. habitat areas in Alaska and the west coast derive a subsidy from breeding areas in predominantly in Canada and overwintering habitat on the Gulf Coast.