Ecosystem services of inland wetlands from the perspective of the EU Water Framework Directive implementation in Spain

Abstract

Inland wetlands are numerous in Spain and have been classified in a broad range of categories. At present, the most relevant classification is that applied by River Basin Authorities for the identification of water bodies, according to the EU Water Framework Directive. This typology recognises up to 27 different types of inland lake in Spain. The aims of this paper are to review current knowledge about the evaluation of the ecosystem services provided by inland wetlands, and to present a discussion about two cases that have been subject to economic evaluation. The results obtained highlight the fact that little work has been done in Spain on this topic, thus opening up new lines of research. In particular, a significant amount of work is required to identify and characterize specific ecosystem services provided by wetlands in Mediterranean conditions, which in turn will do a great deal to highlight the importance of their conservation. Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Guest editor M.C. Acreman Citation de la Hera, A. Fornés, J.M. and Bernués, M., 2011. Ecosystem services of inland wetlands from the perspective of the EU Water Framework Directive implementation in Spain. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 56 (8), 1656–1666.