| 1. |
- Barredo, José I., et al.
(author)
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Mapping and assessment of forest ecosystems and their services : Applications and guidance for decision making in the framework of MAES
- 2015
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The aim of this report is to illustrate by means of a series of case studies the implementation of mapping and assessment of forest ecosystem services in different contexts and geographical levels. Methodological aspects, data issues, approaches, limitations, gaps and further steps for improvement are analysed for providing good practices and decision making guidance. The EU initiative on Mappingand Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES), with the support of all Member States, contributes to improve the knowledge on ecosystem services. MAES is one of the building-block initiatives supporting the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.
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| 2. |
- Burkhard, Benjamin, et al.
(author)
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Mapping and assessing ecosystem services in the EU - Lessons learned from the ESMERALDA approach of integration
- 2018
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In: One Ecosystem. - : Pensoft Publishers. - 2367-8194. ; 3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action ESMERALDA aimed at developing guidance and a flexible methodology for Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) to support the EU member states in the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy’s Target 2 Action 5. ESMERALDA’s key tasks included network creation, stakeholder engagement, enhancing ecosystem services mapping and assessment methods across various spatial scales and value domains, work in case studies and support of EU member states in MAES implementation. Thus ESMERALDA aimed at integrating various project outcomes around four major strands: i) Networking, ii) Policy, iii) Research and iv) Application. The objective was to provide guidance for integrated ecosystem service mapping and assessment that can be used for sustainable decision-making in policy, business, society, practice and science at EU, national and regional levels. This article presents the overall ESMERALDA approach of integrating the above-mentioned project components and outcomes and provides an overview of how the enhanced methods were applied and how they can be used to support MAES implementation in the EU member states. Experiences with implementing such a large pan-European Coordination and Support Action in the context of EU policy are discussed and recommendations for future actions are given.
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| 3. |
- Maes, Joachim, et al.
(author)
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An indicator framework for assessing ecosystem services in support of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
- 2016
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In: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier. - 2212-0416 .- 2212-0416. ; 17, s. 14-23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the EU, the mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services, abbreviated to MAES, is seen as a key action for the advancement of biodiversity objectives, and also to inform the development and implementation of related policies on water, climate, agriculture, forest, marine and regional planning. In this study, we present the development of an analytical framework which ensures that consistent approaches are used throughout the EU. It is framed by a broad set of key policy questions and structured around a conceptual framework that links human societies and their well-being with the environment. Next, this framework is tested through four thematic pilot studies, including stakeholders and experts working at different scales and governance levels, which contributed indicators to assess the state of ecosystem services. Indicators were scored according to different criteria and assorted per ecosystem type and ecosystem services using the common international classification of ecosystem services (CICES) as typology. We concluded that there is potential to develop a first EU wide ecosystem assessment on the basis of existing data if they are combined in a creative way. However, substantial data gaps remain to be filled before a fully integrated and complete ecosystem assessment can be carried out.
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| 4. |
- Rabe, Sven-Erik, et al.
(author)
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Increasing the credibility of expert-based models with preference surveys : mapping recreation in the riverine zone
- 2018
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In: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier. - 2212-0416 .- 2212-0416. ; 31, s. 308-317
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recreation is a basic human need and therefore must be considered in spatial planning, which requires spatially explicit mapping of the recreation suitability of a landscape. The current methods for this type of mapping have limitations: On one hand, widely used expert-based models for large scale suitability assessments often suffer from discrepancies between the mapped values from expert assessment and actual user preferences. On the other hand, elicitation of personal preferences of potential users is complex and time-consuming, and their applicability to larger scales is limited.In this paper, we demonstrate the development of a spatially explicit model for the recreation suitability of the riverine zone that integrates the preferences of the users with an expert-based modeling process. First, we conducted an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with experts to generate four different model variants based on physical variables. These model variants differ in terms of the strength of the influence of the variables on the recreation suitability. Second, an online survey was used to gather data on user preferences for various river sections with regard to recreation. A comparison of the expert model results with the preferences of the potential users shows a clear correlation between one model variant and the users’ preferences. This result suggests that it is possible to elaborate an expert model which corresponds to the preferences of users.We made the model results available for the planning and development of the riverine zone in the canton of Zurich. To this end, they were integrated in a decision support platform together with other planning-relevant information.
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| 5. |
- Schoonover, Heather A., et al.
(author)
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Creating space, aligning motivations, and building trust: a practical framework for stakeholder engagement based on experience in 12 ecosystem services case studies
- 2019
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In: Ecology and Society. - 1708-3087. ; 24:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ecosystem services inherently involve people, whose values help define the benefits of nature's services. It is thus important for researchers to involve stakeholders in ecosystem services research. However, a simple and practicable framework to guide such engagement, and in particular to help researchers anticipate and consider key issues and challenges, has not been well explored. Here, we use experience from the 12 case studies in the European Operational Potential of Ecosystem Research Applications (OPERAs) project to propose a stakeholder engagement framework comprising three key elements: creating space, aligning motivations, and building trust. We argue that involving stakeholders in research demands thoughtful reflection from the researchers about what kind of space they want to create, including if and how they want to bring different interests together, how much space they want to allow for critical discussion, and whether there is a role for particular stakeholders to serve as conduits between others. In addition, understanding their own motivations—including values, knowledge, goals, and desired benefits—will help researchers decide when and how to involve stakeholders, identify areas of common ground and potential disagreement, frame the project appropriately, set expectations, and ensure each party is able to see benefits of engaging with each other. Finally, building relationships with stakeholders can be difficult but considering the roles of existing relationships, time, approach, reputation, and belonging can help build mutual trust. Although the three key elements and the paths between them can play out differently depending on the particular research project, we suggest that a research design that considers how to create the space in which researchers and stakeholders will meet, align motivations between researchers and stakeholders, and build mutual trust will help foster productive researcher–stakeholder relationships.
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