Assessing the synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services provided by urban floodplains: The case of the Warta River Valley in Poznań, Poland

Abstract

While ecosystem services (ES) provided by green areas receive increased recognition, there is a shortage of knowledge on the role of blue spaces to contribute to the delivery of ES. The aim of this paper is to investigate ES provided by the urban floodplain of the Warta River in Poznań, Poland. To achieve this, we used a set of methods, including a field survey, spatial analysis, and analysis of source materials. The paper documents both the services of public interest, as well as ones that can be overlooked by the public due to their “hidden nature”. The results strengthen the idea that assessment of social and ecological benefits from urban floodplains should be conducted jointly to account for the different categories of ES. A complex exploration of the ES delivery may help to better weight the synergies and trade-offs between different management options and to tie the local needs with preservation the integrity and ecological stability of the whole river corridor.