Ecosystem Services Auctions: The Last Decade of Research

Auctions offer potential cost-effectiveness improvements over other mechanisms for payments ecosystem services (PES) contract allocation. However, evidence-based guidance matching design to application is scarce and research priorities are unclear. To take stock of the current state art, we conducted a systematic review thematic content analysis 56 peer-reviewed journal articles discussing ES auctions published in last decade. were approached from three overlapping perspectives: mechanism design, PES, policy analysis. Five major themes emerged: (1) performance, including measures like PES criteria additionality; (2) information dynamics price discovery communication effects; (3) innovations risk-integrating spatially coordinated mechanisms; (4) contextual variables context cultural values; (5) participation factors. Additional attention policymakers continued efforts coordinate this diverse interdisciplinary subfield may be beneficial.