Abstract
Spatial assessments of ecosystem services (ES) are needed to fulfil EU policy requirements and to support practical applications of the ES concept in policy implementation. So far, ES assessments have largely focused on terrestrial systems. A joint approach for land and sea is especially lacking. To overcome this gap, we present a novel spatial habitat typology and ES classification for an assessment across the land–sea interface. We build upon existing approaches and common spatial definitions, like CORINE land cover (CLC) types, water bodies of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), and habitat types according to the Habitats Directive (HD). We show applications of the resulting ES matrix for an expert-based assessment of ES potentials in three Baltic study sites (Schlei, Greifswald Bay and Curonian Lagoon). A complementary indicator-based approach to assess ES flows is introduced and applied. It enables a quantification of ES potentials and flows and ensures comparability among case study sites. Comparisons between the results for ES potentials and flows show that development capacities exist in particular for provisioning ES for marine habitats. Our approaches are spatially expandable and transferrable and could be applied to support environmental policy implementation. Further, we discuss their practical relevance, current limitations, and future research perspectives.
Highlights
In the last decade, considerable attention in science and policy has been paid to ecosystem services (ES)
Geodata for CORINE land cover (CLC) types, Water Framework Directive (WFD) water body types, and Habitats Directive (HD) habitats were accessible from European and national geoportals, but the years from which data was available differed between case study site (CSS)
For ‘pest and disease control’ (RM3) two indicators were applied, namely presence of pathogenic bacteria and of micro algae biomass, which were chosen based on their relevance for European Union (EU) directives, namely the EU Bathing Water Quality Directive (BWD) and the WFD
Summary
Considerable attention in science and policy has been paid to ecosystem services (ES). The ES concept links the state of ecosystems to human wellbeing [1,2] and is considered beneficial for supporting sustainable policy- and decisionmaking. As such, it has been included in environmental policies from the global to the sub-national scale. Major impediments for policy implementation include the lack of a holistic view and low acceptance of environmental measures among stakeholder groups. An integration of the ES concept can be beneficial for emphasizing social and economic benefits of protecting, managing, and restoring different ecosystems, and enhance acceptance of environmental measures [3]
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