scholarly journals Rule-based classification and mapping of ecosystem services with data on the integrity of forest ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Schlutow ◽  
Winfried Schröder
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Nutrient Balance ◽  
National Level ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Rule Based ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background The state of ecosystems influences their services for humans. Therefore, the European Union aims to assess and map ecosystem conditions and ecosystem services at the level of the Union and the Member States to implement maintenance or protection measures, if necessary.This paper examines the relationship between forest ecosystem conditions and ecosystem services at the national level, using Germany as an example. The aim is to create a methodology that allows users to understand and predict how the potential supply of selected ecosystem services might change over time under the influence of climate change and atmospheric nitrogen deposition, and that is reproducible, unlike previous approaches. To this end, the methodology was operationalised in a quantitative and rule-based manner. Methods and results The multitude of forest ecosystem types were grouped into 78 classes according to the degree of similarity of their ecological characteristics that influence the provision of ecosystem services. Thereby, ecoclimatic, soil hydrological and nutrient balance characteristics and 12 potential ecosystem service capacities were taken into account. Three potential ecosystem services were quantified for representatives of the ecosystem type classes. The ecosystem service classification was mapped for all of Germany. Conclusions The methodology presented enables a transparent and thus a reproducible classification of current and future ecosystem services

scholarly journals National Set of MAES Indicators in Greece: Ecosystem Services and Management Implications

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis P. Kokkoris ◽  
Georgios Mallinis ◽  
Eleni S. Bekri ◽  
Vassiliki Vlami ◽  
Stamatis Zogaris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
National Level ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Thematic Maps ◽  
Food Material ◽  
Data Gaps ◽  
Condition Indicator ◽  
The Eu

Research Highlights: The developed National Set of Indicators for the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) implementation in Greece at the national level sets the official, national basis on which future studies will be conducted for MAES reporting for the achievement of targets within the National and the European Union (EU) biodiversity Strategy. Background and Objectives: Greece is currently developing and implementing a MAES nation-wide program based on the region’s unique characteristics following the proposed methodologies by the European Commission, in the frame of the LIFE-IP 4 NATURA project (Integrated actions for the conservation and management of Natura 2000 sites, species, habitats and ecosystems in Greece). In this paper, we present the steps followed to compile standardized MAES indicators for Greece that include: (a) collection and review of the available MAES-related datasets, (b) shortcomings and limitations encountered and overcome, (c) identification of data gaps and (d) assumptions and framework setting. Correspondence to EU and National Strategies and Policies are also examined to provide an initial guidance for detailed thematic studies. Materials and Methods: We followed the requirements of the EU MAES framework for ecosystem services and ecosystem condition indicator selection. Ecosystem services reported under the selected indicators were assigned following the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services. Spatial analysis techniques were applied to create relevant thematic maps. Results: A set of 40 MAES indicators was drafted, distributed in six general indicator groups, i.e., Biodiversity, Environmental quality, Food, material and energy, Forestry, Recreation and Water resources. The protocols for the development and implementation of an indicator were also drafted and adopted for future MAES studies in Greece, providing guidance for adaptive development and adding extra indicators when and where needed. Thematic maps representing ecosystem services (ES) bundles and ES hotspots were also created to identify areas of ES importance and simultaneously communicate the results at the national and regional levels.

scholarly journals Mapping of ecosystems in Bulgaria for the needs of natural heritage assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 89-98
Author(s):  
Desislava Hristova ◽  
Vanya Stoycheva
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
National Level ◽  
Natural Heritage ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Gis Environment ◽  
Comparison Table ◽  
The Relationship

The main purpose of the paper is to explore the relationship between the CORINE Land Cover (CLC) classification and the MAES typology in order to develop a basis for mapping of ecosystems at national level in Bulgaria, which could ensure a spatial framework for mapping and assessment of the ecosystem services provided by the natural heritage. Identifying the necessary data for our purposes, we found that, in spatial terms, CLC data is the only appropriate data source. The subtypes of ecosystems at Level 3 of the classification of ecosystems in Bulgaria (based on the European MAES classification) are identified as mapping units. Firstly, we decided to analyze the links between the CLC and the MAES BG classes through five categories of correspondence: 1) full correspondence – one CLC class corresponds to one MAES BG subtype; 2) multi-directional links – one or more CLC classes correspond to one MAES BG subtype; 3) discrepancies that necessitate further analyses; 4) CLC classes that are not found in Bulgaria; 5) MAES BG subtypes that have no correspondence to a CLC class. Secondly, we prepared a comparison table to determine the correspondence between the CLC classes and ecosystem subtypes, which we integrated into the GIS environment. Thirdly, we developed an algorithm for modifications of the spatial distribution of ecosystem subtypes. The algorithm was applied particularly to grasslands, where at Level 3 of CLC there are two classes of "grassland”, whereas at Level 3 of the classification of ecosystems in Bulgaria, the subtypes are five. This algorithm was applied to the 2018 CLC spatial data so as to develop a GIS database providing the basis for subsequent analyzes related to ecosystems. The database was used to delineate and map the ecosystems at national level in Bulgaria. Furthermore, a map of the potential of the natural heritage to provide ecosystem services was produced.

scholarly journals Mapping hotspots and bundles of forest ecosystem services across the European Union

2020 ◽  
Vol 99 ◽  
pp. 104840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Orsi ◽  
Marco Ciolli ◽  
Eeva Primmer ◽  
Liisa Varumo ◽  
Davide Geneletti
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Forest Ecosystem Services

Exploring Regional Drainage with Ecosystem Service in Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Min Fu ◽  
Yu-Chen Hsu ◽  
Hung-Pin Huang
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
The Common ◽  
Public Construction ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Service Strategies

<p>In Taiwan, the regional drainage is the system of two or more of urban, agricultural and enterprise drainages. Communities locate in or around the urban river, farmland or estuary are significantly involved in four services of ecosystem services. From 2016, central government forced each public construction project has to implement ecologic check work. However, these check work did not yet follow the idea of ecosystem services so that the operation of public construction projects in these two years could not reach the target completely. This study introduces the idea of ecosystem services into the ecologic check work of regional drainage projects to explore the feasibility of selected parameters in ecosystem services.          </p><p>This study refers to ecosystem service strategies such as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA, 2005), the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB, 2010) and the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES, 2017), considering the extensiveness, feasibility, and regional characteristics of regional drainage for ecosystem services. In addition, this study designs two checklist forms for master plan and project, respectively. After implementing ecologic check work for three cases in Taiwan, the result explores the feasibility of ecosystem services in regional drainage system.   </p>

Materia Medica of Tibetan Medicine: Identification, Quality Check and Protection Measures

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr Dawa ◽  
Tsering D. Gonkatsang
Keyword(s):  
Medical Practitioner ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Tibetan Medicine ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Materia Medica ◽  
Medical Theory ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Cultivation Techniques ◽  
The Relationship

This paper discusses the relationship between Tibetan medical theory and practice with respect to the classification of Materia Medica and the discernment of quality and potency. Based on more than thirty years of experience as a Tibetan medical practitioner, the author describes a number of specific Materia Medica in detail, with an emphasis on how to determine fake from authentic ingredients. The author also offers recommendations and guidance on proper cultivation techniques and conservation methods, in line with Tibetan textual sources on the subject, in combination with empirical knowledge.

scholarly journals Water Bodies’ Cooling Effects on Urban Land Daytime Surface Temperature: Ecosystem Service Reducing Heat Island Effect

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhijie Wu ◽  
Yixin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Urban Land ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Potential Influence ◽  
Cooling Effects ◽  
The Relationship

The urban heat island (UHI) effect caused by urbanization is a major environmental concern. Utilizing cooling effects of water bodies as one type of ecosystem service is an important way to mitigate UHI in urban areas during the daytime. This study aims to examine the influence of water bodies’ cooling effects on the urban land surface temperature (LST). The potential influence on the relationship between urban land cover and the LST are also discussed. The daytime LST in April was retrieved from Landsat-8 thermal infrared band and the grid-based method was adopted to analyze the potential influence. The results indicated that Suzhou Bay is broadly capable of lowering daytime temperatures. The cooling distance can reach 800 m in horizontal space, and the maximum cooling effect was 3.02 °C. Furthermore, the distance to the Suzhou Bay is a great factor for the relationship between land cover and the LST. We found that the cooling effects have weakened the correct quantitative correlation between land cover (e.g., green space and impervious surface) and the LST, particularly green space in the range of 200 m. In addition, the cooling effects have strengthened the “cool edge” phenomenon when analyzing the relationship between the normal difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the LST. We suggest that the distance to the water bodies should be effectively utilized in the microclimate regulation provided by ecosystem services of water bodies. When investigating the thermal effects of urban land, urban planners and designers should consider water bodies’ effects on surrounding areas. These findings have implications for understanding the role of water bodies with ecosystem services of temperature mitigation, which must be fully appreciated for sustainable urban and landscape planning.

Examining the Impacts of Tidal Energy Capture from an Ecosystem Services Perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather M. Leslie ◽  
Megan Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
National Level ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Ocean Energy ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Energy Capture ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Analytical Tools

AbstractAs governments from the local to national level have recognized the need to integrate renewable sources into their energy portfolios, there has been a recent push to harness diverse sources of ocean energy, including those generated by tides and waves. Despite the potential benefits, development of these marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) resources has raised concerns in terms of their potential socioeconomic and environmental impacts. An ecosystem services perspective offers a useful means of monitoring how MHKs will affect both people and nature by enabling the identification of the benefits provided by functioning ecosystems to people, including biodiversity, tourism and recreation, and food provision. To illustrate the value of this approach in evaluating the potential impacts of an MHK project, we present the case study of the Muskeget Channel Tidal Energy Project (United States) and identify the types of data and analytical tools that could be used to develop an ecosystem service assessment of MHK development in this study region. To complement this case study, we also reviewed the published literature on tidal energy and other MHK project types, which highlighted how little is known about the ecological effects of MHK development in coastal and marine ecosystems. Integrating ecosystem service knowledge into projects like Muskeget Channel can contribute to more scientifically informed MHK siting processes and more effective, ecosystem-based management of the diverse human activities undertaken in coastal and marine environments.

scholarly journals The Role of Regional Ecological Assessment in Quantifying Ecosystem Services for Forest Management

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 725
Author(s):  
Lars Y. Pomara ◽  
Danny C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ecological Assessment ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
System Level ◽  
Ecosystem Level

Regional ecological assessments evaluate sustainability as an interaction among ecosystem services and stressors across changing landscapes. Using ecological assessments to inform ecosystem management activities relies on assessing functional linkages between ecosystem processes and ecosystem services, because ecosystem processes are the primary targets of ecosystem management. We undertook a review of regional ecological assessments in the Appalachian region of the United States to examine how forest-based ecosystem services, forest ecosystem processes, and their linkages are quantified. To provide context, we first give an overview of common ecological assessment frameworks, including risk, vulnerability, resilience, and indicator-based approaches. Assessments tended to target either ecosystem-level properties thought to be important for ecosystem service sustainability, or else to target specific ecosystem services or stressors. Forest ecosystem-level assessment most often relied on specific indicators for system properties such as integrity or health, but how those properties or their indicators were related to ecosystem services was typically not quantified. Individual ecosystem services were frequently assessed in terms of risk and vulnerability to specific external stressors, but linkages to ecosystem processes, and potential tradeoffs among ecosystem services, were infrequently quantified. Integrated system-level assessment and ecosystem service assessment can improve support for ecosystem management by advancing our understanding of dependencies on the ecosystem processes that are modified through management. Models that evaluate ecosystem services and underlying processes in a systems context offer one approach to do so.

scholarly journals Forest land tax reductions – an effective payment for forest ecosystem services in Slovakia?

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 167-176
Author(s):  
Klára Báliková ◽  
Zuzana Dobšinská ◽  
Emília Balážová ◽  
Peter Valent ◽  
Jaroslav Šálka
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Forest Land ◽  
Nature Protection ◽  
Potential Effectiveness ◽  
Forest Ecosystem Services ◽  
Tax Reduction

Abstract Preferential land tax programs are used over 50 years and are mainly connected with nature protection and environmental goals. Nowadays, they are also considered as a way how to promote and support forest ecosystem services that arise from exempted forest land. In Slovak Republic national forest land tax reduction scheme exists for special purpose and protection forests, as well for other forests with special importance. The goal of the paper was to develop a multidimensional evaluation of this economic instrument for ecosystem service support in Slovakia. We evaluated how the forest land tax reduction fits into the payments for ecosystem services theory, which services are supported and what is the potential and implementation effectiveness according to theory of policy analysis. Even though, the forest owners and enterprises benefit from tax reductions, evidence regarding its visibility as payment for ecosystem service is low. Forest land tax reductions are considered as other economic incentive for ecosystem services support with moderate potential effectiveness. Despite the instrument have low visibility of FES supported from both sides – sellers and beneficiaries, its potential effectiveness is high, due its automatic and stable implementation without relevant implementation gaps.

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