Integrating methods for ecosystem service assessment: experiences from real world situations

The Ecosystem Services (ES) concept provides great potential to highlight the breadth of services provided by the environment to humans. In the OpenNESS project research teams from 26 case studies across Europe and the world worked with case study practitioners to assess and select ES methods to target the specific management challenges of each case. The methods available included a range of biophysical, monetary and non-monetary approaches and were capable of addressing case study questions regarding both the supply and demand of ecosystem services and their value to the people benefiting from them. This paper draws on an analysis of case study experiences, to detail both the diversity of ways that methods were combined in practice, and the reasons driving method selection in different contexts. The paper attempts to synthesise these experiences to provide take-home messages that illustrate where, and in what contexts, different methodological combinations were used. It provides suggestions for those working in ecosystem service assessment drawn from experience of the 26 cases. The findings of the OpenNESS case studies stress that methodological plurality, flexibility and creativity are key if the ES concept is to best address the practical challenges posed by real world situations.

DUNFORD Robert;  HARRISON Paula;  SMITH Alison;  DICK J.;  BARTON David;  MARTIN-LOPEZ Berta;  KELEMEN Eszter;  JACOBS Sander;  SAARIKOSKI Heli;  TURKELBOOM Francis;  VERHEYDEN Wim;  HAUCK Jennifer;  ANTUNES Paula;  ASZALÓS Réka;  BADEA Ovidu;  BARO Francesc;  BERRY Pam;  CARVALHO Laurence;  CONTE Giulio;  CZÚCZ Bálint;  GARCIA BLANCO Gemma;  HOWARD David;  GIUCA Relu;  GOMEZ-BAGGETHUN Erik;  GRIZZETTI Bruna;  IZAKOVICOVA Zita;  KOPPEROINEN Leena;  LANGEMEYER Johannes;  LUQUE Sandra;  LAPOLA David;  MARTINEZ-PASTUR Guillermo;  MUKHOPADHYAY Raktima;  ROY S. B.;  NIEMELÄ Jari;  NORTON Lisa;  OCHIENG John;  ODEE David;  PALOMO Igniacio;  PINHO Patricia;  PRIESS Jorg;  RUSCH Graciela;  SAARELA Sanna-Riikka;  SANTOS Rui;  VAN DER WAL Jan Tjalling;  VADINEANU Angheluta;  VÁRI Ágnes;  WOODS Helen;  YLI-PELKONEN Vesa; 

2018-01-10

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

JRC108267

2212-0416,   

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212041617300190,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC108267,   

10.1016/j.ecoser.2017.10.014,