Larson, Silva, Jarvis, Diane, and Nywaigi Traditional Owners (2026) Using Indigenous mental models to conceptualise and report on ecosystems services and benefits. Ecosystems and People, 22 (1). 2620240.

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Abstract

We explore relations between Indigenous and the Western conceptualisation of flows of services from nature to people, and specifically, flow of ecosystem services as per SEEA-EA accounting framework developed and promoted by the United Nations. This case study was a partnership with the Nywaigi Traditional Owners from North Queensland Australia and was conducted as a series of workshops with the Nywaigi representatives. We present Nywaigi conceptualisation of the ecosystem services (and disservices) linked to Mungalla Station on their Country. Starting from the Western point of view, we introduce ‘crosswalk’ from SEEA-EA ecosystem services to Nywaigi conceptualisation; and starting from Nywaigi perspective, ‘mental map’ that links Nywaigi wellbeing to SEEA-EA framework. Our findings indicate that some of the concepts are very similar between First Nation and SEEA-EA, and confirm importance to Nywaigi Traditional Owners of circular and interconnected conceptualisation of the nature-people system and of longer conceptualisation of time. Suggestions on further modifications to conceptualisations of nature-people-nature system are presented, and the temporal scale of expected changes is discussed. Specifically, we discuss concepts of flows of services from nature to nature; category of disservices – explicit recognition that ecosystem flows can be beneficial but also detrimental for human wellbeing, both physical and mental/spiritual; and important role of outside influences (capitals other than natural capital) in determining the actual use of what ecosystem services might be supplying. Our findings present empirical evidence of alternative conceptualisations that emphasise continually unfolding processes and relations.

Item ID:	91069
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2639-5916
Keywords:	Ecosystem services and disservices; First Nations; Indigenous; SEEA EA; Traditional Owners; wetland restoration
Copyright Information:	© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Funders:	Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW)
Projects and Grants:	DCCEEW Blue Carbon Ecosystem Restoration Benefits Measurement, Verification and Accounts Program
Date Deposited:	31 Mar 2026 02:51
FoR Codes:	38 ECONOMICS > 3801 Applied economics > 380105 Environment and resource economics @ 30% 38 ECONOMICS > 3899 Other economics > 389902 Ecological economics @ 30% 45 INDIGENOUS STUDIES > 4503 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander environmental knowledges and management > 450304 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander environmental knowledges @ 40%
SEO Codes:	15 ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK > 1599 Other economic framework > 159902 Ecological economics @ 50% 21 INDIGENOUS > 2104 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and culture > 210402 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connection to land and environment @ 50%
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