Ecosystem Services Framework Research Articles

Opportunities and gaps in conservation incentive programs on California agricultural land

Agricultural incentive programs promote ecosystem health and biodiversity on California working lands and encourage a multitude of conservation goals. The various objectives, environmental impacts, and financial costs of conservation incentive programs are challenging to assess. The ecosystem services framework is a useful tool for identifying tradeoffs between conservation management options. Here, 52 active incentive programs were reviewed to determine the ecosystem services prioritized by each program in California. Next, the top 20 highest funded federal conservation practices were assessed in terms of their ecosystem service impacts. We found that there is a gap between California’s ecosystem services goals and the ecosystem services that are impacted by federal programs, and that the top funded practices are not necessarily the ones that deliver the best benefits in terms of ecosystem services. This study highlights the gaps between conservation goals and outcomes on California agricultural land, as well as the need for regional conservation monitoring to determine the impacts of incentive programs.

Forest Inventory Data Provide Useful Information for Mapping Ecosystem Services Potential

The ecosystem services framework is a convenient approach for identifying and mapping nature’s contributions to people, and an accurate assessment of ecosystem services potential is the first step in the decision support process of well-informed land management planning. The approach we use for forest ecosystem services potential assessment in Latvia is based on the principles of the matrix model and biophysical data of the forest inventory database, and it is comparable to other assessments previously carried out in the Baltic Sea Region. The proposed approach supports spatial planning and may be integrated with assessments of other ecosystems based on the same methodological principles. The evaluation results reflect the high spatial heterogeneity of forest types in Latvia. Future work should include integrating ecosystem services flows and demand into the assessment, developing additional indicators for culturally important ecosystem services, and introducing socio-cultural valuation to account for a broader set of stakeholders and values.

Analysis of Landscape Character Assessment and Cultural Ecosystem Services Evaluation Frameworks for Peri-Urban Landscape Planning: A Case Study of Harku Municipality, Estonia

This study combined landscape character assessment (LCA) and cultural ecosystem services (CES) frameworks to evaluate human well-being in the peri-urban area of Harku Municipality, Estonia. Using geospatial data combined with expert opinions, the study investigated the interplay between landscape character types and environmental/contact types through the LCA method. In total, 21 distinct landscape types comprising 47 separate areas were identified, with CES values determined for each. Restorative, social, and cognitive values were associated with each landscape character type. The findings demonstrated the higher restorative potential of blue and green elements (water bodies, forests) with low settlement density and minimal agriculture. High-density settlements with good road access demonstrated significant social values, while mixed forests and wetlands tended to be associated with higher cognitive values. Coastal zones with semi-dense settlements and mixed forests earned favourable ratings, whereas industrial/agricultural landscapes were rated lowest for all values. These findings offer valuable insights into the complex dynamics of urban–rural interactions, resilience, and the impact of urbanisation on CES. They may inform future landscape management strategies, urban planning decisions, and policy considerations. Additionally, this study highlights the need for further research to explore the long-term trends and potential changes in CES in evolving peri-urban environments.

Ecosystem indicators to measure the effectiveness of marine nature-based solutions on society and biodiversity under climate change

An assessment framework of marine ecosystem services (ES) indicators to quantify the socio-ecological effectiveness of nature-based solutions (NBS) and nature-inclusive harvesting (NIH) under climate-driven changes was developed. It creates a common understanding about the health status of ecosystems, their services (ES), and the impact of implementing NBS&NIH to inform policymakers and the public. The two NBS considered were restoration and conservation which need to be performed considering the sustainable harvesting of marine resources (NIH). The interaction between the biodiversity indicators with the socioeconomic, response and pressure indicators was established using the ES cascade. However, it was also linked to other environmental (e.g., DAPSI(W)R(M)) and economic frameworks such as the Standard National Account (SNA) and the System of Environment Economic Accounting (SEEA). A set of 155 multidisciplinary indicators were identified through a literature review and their effectiveness in measuring ES under changing climate. Biodiversity & environmental as well as Pressure indicators are the most numerous in the list representing 34 % and 23 % of the total respectively, while only 12 % of the used Indicators below to the economic dimension. Socioeconomic indicators considering CC are rarely contemplated, except for a short list redefining output and demand approach indicators to aggregate a carbon footprint valuation. For cultural services economic indicators dominate, whereas sparse for provisioning and regulating. The 70 % of the selected indicators were also empirically verified with 27 European storylines. Storylines have high coverage of biodiversity, environmental indicators, and CC indicators (91 %), lower coverage of economic (71 %) and poorer related to social (31 %) indicators. Harvest, pressure and/or habitats are clearly the groups of indicators majority used when evaluating the ES on marine and coastal ecosystems both in terms of the number of used indicators but also, the frequency of use. Despite the increase of ES research, this study identifies 14 substantial gaps or weaknesses limiting the guidance for NBS&NIH implementation derived from the employment of an unbalanced (between dimensions and key groups) number of quantitative indicators.

O.3.1-5 Peri-urban landscape as an environment for health enhancing physical activity

Abstract Purpose Peri-urban landscape is situated between the rural and the urban and encompasses diverse set of green space types, e.g. large semi-natural areas, woodlands, hills, country parks. Such spaces, suitable for nature recreation, can be rarely found in cities. Accordingly, peri-urban landscape is increasingly important for enabling population to become more physically active. However, previous research has shown that many cities struggle with divergences in the use of these spaces. While some of peri-urban green spaces are under high demand for outdoor recreation, which puts considerable pressure on the landscape and threatens its provisioning of landscape qualities such as tranquillity or biodiversity, others are underused despite their recognised potential for recreation. So far, little attention has been paid to this issue in planning and decision making. This study first assessed the extent to which peri-urban landscape provides possibility for outdoor recreation. Secondly, it explored how to provide support for spatial planners and local governments in the planning and management of peri-urban green spaces for promotion of outdoor recreation. Methods We conducted document analysis, literature review and stakeholders’ interviews in three case study cities in Slovenia: Ljubljana, Koper and Kranj. In the first step, we highlighted any formal recognition of peri-urban landscape use for outdoor recreation and identified spatial actions and their influence on the peri-urban land use. Then we carried out the evaluation of the level of importance given to peri-urban green spaces’ suitability for outdoor recreation by the stakeholders. The data was compiled and compared between the three cities. Results We identified policy gaps in all case studies, which pointed to the weak role of spatial planning in protection and management of peri-urban green spaces for outdoor recreation. We also identified the lack of methodologies, tools and inclusion of new approaches, such as ecosystem services framework or nature-based solutions, in the spatial planning and policy making. Conclusion Our findings provide a supporting material for local decision makers and spatial planners in their efforts to develop peri-urban green spaces as spaces for promoting health among all demographic groups of local population. Funding Slovenian Research Agency (grant numbers V5-2232 and Z5-4589).

Spatio-temporal characteristics of cultural ecosystem services and their relations to landscape factors in Hangzhou Xixi National Wetland Park, China

AimsCultural ecosystem services are important component of ecosystem services which play increasingly important roles in enhancing human well-being. Hangzhou Xixi National Wetland Park (hereafter referred to as Xixi Wetland), the first National Wetland Park of China located in Hangzhou City of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomerations, plays a fundamental, leading and exemplary role in the ecological construction of urban wetland ecosystems. This paper aims to reveal spatio-temporal characteristics of its cultural ecosystem services and their relations to landscape factors. MethodsFirst, the sets of photographs which were uploaded by tourists in 2019 from the two-step website, were used as the data source. Then, we established the corresponding index framework and evaluation model of cultural ecosystem services basing on previous case studies. The social media photo analysis method was used to collect information about the captured images. By means of the ArcGIS software, we visualized the spatial distribution hotspots of different aspects of cultural ecosystem services in Xixi Wetland, and their differences in tourists' perceptions were obtained. Principal component analysis was used to analyze the correlation between cultural ecosystem services and landscape factors. ResultsThe result showed that most of social media photos were shared to present aesthetic values along with recreation and ecotourism and infrastructure appreciation. Besides, for the landscape elements appearing in the photographs, biological landscape had the highest frequency (40.8%, n = 2667). We found that different types of cultural ecosystem services have different kernel density distributions and perception levels, and also affected by seasonal scales. Besides, there were significant positive spatial correlations between different items of cultural ecosystem services. Among which, the strongest correlations were observed between aesthetic and infrastructure appreciation. In addition, there were spatial correlations between cultural ecosystem services and landscape factors. ConclusionsWe concluded that the spatial distribution of cultural ecosystem services in Xixi Wetland presents different patterns under the influence of landscape heterogeneity and seasonal time dimension. There was a correlation between different types of cultural ecosystem services and most landscape factors, indicating that tourists have certain preferences when they perceive cultural ecosystem services.

The usefulness of food web models in the ecosystem services framework: Quantifying, mapping, and linking services supply

Coastal ecosystems provide a wide range of valuable ecosystem services (ES) for human wellbeing. Such services depend on the functioning and structure of ecosystems. Unfortunately, these ecosystems are threatened by humans, directly impairing their ability to provide these services. In order to predict such changes, we used a food web model to forecast potential spatial changes in ES supply in the Seine Bay (English Channel), due to climate change effects (CC) and the setup of an offshore wind farm (OWF). Three ES were studied, food production from fishing, top predator production for cultural purposes and the potential resistance of the ecosystem inferred from its organization. The ability of the Seine Bay ecosystem to produce food appears to be negatively impacted by the effect of climate change. Because of the important economic role of fishing in Normandy, such changes could percolate on the entire social and economic system of the bay. The Courseulles-sur-Mer offshore wind farm appears to increase the supply of services and limit the impact of climate change at the local spatial scale, which could give stakeholders insights into mitigating the effects of climate change. Such ecosystem approach enables for a more integrative view of ES supply, through the characterization of the entire system functioning.

Linking ecotoxicological effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functions to impairment of ecosystem services is a challenge: an illustration with the case of plant protection products.

There is growing interest in using the ecosystem services framework for environmental risk assessments of chemicals, including plant protection products (PPPs). Although this topic is increasingly discussed in the recent scientific literature, there is still a substantial gap between most ecotoxicological studies and a solid evaluation of potential ecotoxicological consequences on ecosystem services. This was recently highlighted by a collective scientific assessment (CSA) performed by 46 scientific experts who analyzed the international science on the impacts of PPPs on biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem services. Here, we first point out the main obstacles to better linking knowledge on the ecotoxicological effects of PPPs on biodiversity and ecological processes with ecosystem functions and services. Then, we go on to propose and discuss possible pathways for related improvements. We describe the main processes governing the relationships between biodiversity, ecological processes, and ecosystem functions in response to effects of PPP, and we define categories of ecosystem functions that could be directly linked with the ecological processes used as functional endpoints in investigations on the ecotoxicology of PPPs. We then explore perceptions on the possible links between these categories of ecosystem functions and ecosystem services among a sub-panel of the scientific experts from various fields of environmental science. We find that these direct and indirect linkages still need clarification. This paper, which reflects the difficulties faced by the multidisciplinary group of researchers involved in the CSA, suggests that the current gap between most ecotoxicological studies and a solid potential evaluation of ecotoxicological consequences on ecosystem services could be partially addressed if concepts and definitions related to ecological processes, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem services were more widely accepted and shared within the ecotoxicology community. Narrowing this gap would help harmonize and extend the science that informs decision-making and policy-making, and ultimately help to better address the trade-off between social benefits and environmental losses caused by the use of PPPs.

Toward a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Coastal Zone: Case Study of an Industrialized Coastal Ecosystem in Greece

Representing 9% of the land worldwide, the coastal zone is a highly populated part of the land, where economic and social growth continuously arise. An expected consequence of rapid development on the coastal zone is the creation of significant environmental pressures connected to human activities. Within this framework, the need to use the ecosystem services concept under the prism of sustainable development has risen to increase the provision of services to the people through an ecosystem approach using the human–environment interaction. The aim of this paper is to form an integrated approach for sustainable blue economy in a coastal ecosystem, using the SDGs and the ecosystem services frameworks and exploring the interlinkages of the ecosystem’s parameters from both sides. The outcome of this study is the formation of a decision-making tool for sustainable blue economy in a coastal ecosystem, which classifies the SDGs with a specific factor, according to their importance for the sustainable blue economy, and helps stakeholders prioritize their actions toward the achievement of sustainability in the specific ecosystem. A case study of this approach is Elefsis Gulf, a coastal ecosystem in the eastern Mediterranean, located 18 km from the historic city of Athens, Greece.

Valuing ecosystem services in complex coastal settings: An extended ecosystem accounting framework for improved decision-making

What gets measured gets managed is an axiom common to the business world that also applies to the management of environmental assets and processes. But what is the most adequate way to measure ecosystem value to optimise ecosystem management? In this paper, we unpack three valuation frameworks often applied in understanding ecosystem services and their benefits: 1) the Ecosystem Services framework, operationalised by the United Nations System of Environmental Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) framework; 2) value-centric approaches operationalised by the Total Economic Value framework; and 3) First Nations Peoples (FNP) frameworks, which seek to capture values from FNPs’ perspective. By assessing the strengths and weaknesses of these value frameworks for managing the World’s largest reef ecosystem—the Australian Great Barrier Reef—we construct an extended SEEA-EA valuation framework tailored to complex coastal settings. The significance of our approach is the inclusion of the whole range of benefits from all coastal and marine uses and users and therefore the integration of non-market and FNP values into the more traditional market-based valuation approach. Assessments that jointly consider multiple values originating from these three different frameworks are more likely to produce sustainable management outcomes than more restrictive approaches.

Psychological restoration depends on curiosity, motivation, and species richness during a guided bird walk in a suburban blue space.

Urban and suburban green and blue spaces are important places for human recreation, and the impact of biodiversity on psychological and recalled restoration has received much attention. This study addresses the relationship between bird species richness and restoration in a controlled field experiment (guided bird walk) applying a battery of individual trait scales (need for cognition, personality) as predictors of restoration. We found a significant positive relationship between the number of bird species present and recalled restoration. Personality, bird species knowledge, bird related interest as test measures, demographics and birding specialization as self-report had no influence on psychological restoration. However, need for cognition correlated positively with psychological restoration, thus providing a new predictive variable. All subscales of the intrinsic motivation scale (enjoyment, perceived competence, perceived choice, pressure/tension) were positively correlated with restoration except of pressure/tension. Learning emotions like interest and well-being were positively related to restoration, while boredom was negatively related. Therefore, we suggest research to examine the restorative function of more cognitive-oriented programs because people may also need cognition when it comes to restoration. We also suggest a broader focus on education and cognitive aspects when it comes to linking biodiversity and health within the framework of ecosystem services.

A standardised ecosystem services framework for the deep sea

Despite its remoteness, human activity has impacted the deep sea and changes to the structure and function of deep-sea ecosystems are already noticeable. In terrestrial and shallow water marine environments, demonstrating how ecosystems support human well-being has been instrumental in setting policy and management objectives for sustainable resource use. Foundational to this approach is a framework of ecosystem service (ES) classification and a synthesis of the knowledge base, which can then be used to structure decision-support tools such as ecosystem accounts or Environmental Impact Assessments. At present, no such framework exists for the deep sea. There is thus an urgent need to determine and assess the ES provided by deep-sea habitats and species before (potentially irreversible) decisions are made about deep-sea habitat use and governance. As a first step towards the incorporation of ES in such decision-making, we undertake two systematic reviews of the scientific literature based on the principles of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) systematic process. This was to define a comparative ES framework and synthesise the current evidence base for how deep-sea habitats support ecosystem services. Our framework proposes four supporting services, three regulating services, four provisioning services and three cultural services for which there is an established and growing body of evidence for the role of deep-sea habitats. The ES framework presented here provides a structure for deep-sea ecosystem services. In its next phase of development, this could provide the foundation for the development of habitat-ecosystem service matrices, which are a critical component for truly accounting for ES in decision-making, particularly spatial management. This framework has significant implications for deep-sea management, conservation and policy, as it provides an ecosystem services-based tool that can be used in any deep-sea ecosystems management across the planet, and it also shows how critical these data gaps are for today’s decisions and how seriously they should be considered in decision-making processes.

What is a Resource? Representing Eurasia’s Pastoral/nomadic Development History in the IPBES Framework for Reconceptualized Resource Meanings

The purpose of this article is to update the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) framework to reflect resource understandings arising within historically non-sedentary societies. This article examines how Eurasia’s unique development history based on livestock cultivation beget modes of understanding predicated in mobile life strategies and pastoral/nomadic interactions with the Eurasian geography. In contrast, prevailing resource ideas emphasize land relation histories of sedentary peoples. Using the IPBES framework, this article takes a novel approach to show how food and food customs reflect embedded resource understandings relevant to non-sedentary peoples. Empirical findings from sturgeon aquaculture facilities in the Caspian states of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan demonstrates sturgeon meat in customary cuisine connects Eurasian peoples to land knowledge instilled with its own resource meanings. This article updates the IPBES framework to incorporate the livestock element as the integrative mechanism giving the method for land use and Eurasia’s own resource concept. Incorporating the livestock variable within the IPBES framework to express the value accorded to mobility better represents the diversity of resource meaning-making processes. It also makes possible a consideration for how food and food customs enabling narrative transmit land appreciations and knowledges not adequately captured by conventional resource analyses.

Land–Sea Interactions and Ecosystem Services: Research Gaps and Future Challenges

The land–sea interface is essential for understanding the interconnectedness of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and provides ecosystem services to people. Although research has been conducted on both ecosystems, knowledge about their interactions remains limited. While there has been growing research interest on land–sea interactions over the last decade, other types of knowledge system such as local or indigenous knowledge have not yet been included. The goal of this study is to review the literature related to land–sea interactions using an ecosystem services framework to help classify existing research. A systematic review of the literature was employed by searching peer-reviewed publications in Web of Science using land–sea interaction keywords. The synthesis identified 166 publications. The findings indicate that the primary disciplines that have investigated land–sea interactions were biogeochemistry and ecology, with a focus on nutrients and interactions. In terms of ecosystem services, supporting and regulating services were the most researched, with urbanization and agricultural and forestry effluents as main studied drivers. Results reveal a need for a more comprehensive view of land–sea interactions that recognizes the critical role that social factors play in shaping the sustainability of these systems. Therefore, a future challenge involves using a more holistic approach to the study and management of land–sea interactions.

Enhancing the conservation status and resilience of a narrowly distributed forest: A challenge to effectively support ecosystem services in practice

The conservation and sustainable management of forests has become an important issue, especially in ecosystems where keystone species form unique and marginal forest habitats with narrow distribution. With increasing pressures and threats to nature, the establishment of Protected Areas has been recognized as a major tool for maintaining well-functioning forest ecosystems and their associated ecosystem services (ES). This study aims at assessing the changes in the status of a narrowly distributed Mediterranean forest through the perspective of land cover dynamics and the ES framework. Using the priority habitat of Cedrus brevifolia forest as a case study, the distribution of land use and land cover (LULC) was mapped and simulated, together with the supply of multiple ES before and after the implementation of conservation measures. The results prior applying the management actions revealed a general pattern of forest densification that did not act fully in favor of C. brevifolia due to competitions among forest species. From an ES viewpoint, forest densification led to landscape homogenization affecting important ES such as the increase in the supply of regulating services, and the decrease in the ability to support nursery populations and habitats. By contrast, the future simulation of LULC integrated with afforestation and thinning measures showed an expected increase in both high-density vegetation and cedar trees, benefiting multiple ES. The current findings highlight the importance of sustainable forest management in enhancing the co-occurrence of several ES and supporting the overall multi-functionality of ecosystems. The holistic approach presented in this study can offer new insights into the relation between ES and natural ecosystem and/or habitats’ management while avoiding potential negative impacts on human well-being and ecosystem resilience.

Economic contribution of beach resources and their sustainable development in China

Beach ecosystem provides services that produce substantial economic value. Different functions of beach resources (recreation and tourism, amenity, coastal protection, biodiversity, etc.) perform inherently different characteristics and contribute diversely to human welfare and fortune. Yet, there have been rare quantification estimations for economic contributions of beaches to human life. Here, framework of beach ecosystem services based on key functions is established, then a series of integrated quantification methods are summarized by published literature and a few novel estimations. Economic contributions of beach resources are obtained through application in fifty-nine coastal cities of China in recent ten years. Spatial added values in real estate benefiting from beaches are separated out economically for the first time. In China, beach resources of 3100 km generate an economic value of at least ¥4.00 × 1012 ($579.60 × 109) during the time interval 2010–2019. Furthermore, legislation, international tourism competitiveness, beach nourishment and restoration issues are discussed; dynamic pattern and healthy-recycled beach economy are creatively proposed according to the needs of sustainable development. This study explores the interface between ecosystem services and economics for beach resources, provides straight recognition upon beaches' economic contribution (least estimation), and promotes understanding of social and natural impacts on China's beach economy.

The practice and potential of the SITES v2 rating system for the sustainable design of a landscape: A case study of Chicago’s Navy Pier

The landscape is a synthesis of cultural and natural processes in a place that can be designed and maintained to improve and regenerate the natural benefits and services of ecosystems. The Sustainable Sites Initiative has developed a rating system that identifies and advances best practices for landscape architecture. The SITES v2 Rating System was produced through a multi-year iterative process and incentives sustainable landscape practices by using an ecosystem services framework. Opportunities for continuing research on how SITES v2 encourages the creation of a landscape sustainability system and drives more sustainable land development will become apparent as it expands in application, scope, and impact. To illustrate the practice and potential of SITES v2 for sustainable landscape design, this research is primarily a literature review with the specific context of the SITES gold-certified project, Navy Pier in Chicago. The results show that SITES v2 is an important tool for transforming theory into the implementation of ecosystem services and guiding design decisions towards sustainable outcomes. It also promotes the entire project's accountability to a higher standard of best practices and results in a more sustainable site. In the context of contemporary landscape architecture practices, SITES v2 may lead to the transformation of sustainable landscape design. This study can promote the ongoing application of SITES v2 and the creation of a better sustainable landscape through design. It holds the potential to highlight how the methodology on which SITES has been created can be linked with the development of future cities and the management of urban landscapes.

Mapping biodiversity and cultural values complemented with understanding of social dynamics provides effective means for addressing opportunities for nature conservation in a cultural landscape

The ecosystem services framework can usefully complement biodiversity assessments in developing socially robust nature conservation strategies in protected areas and beyond. However, there is still little research, especially in Eastern Europe, which links biodiversity assessment and nature related values to the deeper social-economic dynamics and aspirations existing in the local communities. Here we address this knowledge gap with a study case from Romania. We used data from a thorough biodiversity survey to map the protected species and habitats in a Natura 2000 area. Then we used participatory mapping with key local community representatives to understand the type of values linking the local community with the protected area, distinguishing between the past (1960’s-1989 period) and present. We identified that socio-economic and cultural values were strong and synergistically manifested in the past but not in the present. A dramatic abandonment of land use practices was reported. The current distribution of protected species and habitats does not overlap with the farmed areas in the past and present. Interviewees report that the local community went through dramatic changes from the past to present: increased individualism weakened or lost local rules, diversifying individual aspirations, low level of collective actions and weak alignment between knowledge and aspirations and the protected area. New socio-cultural values are represented by educational activities, however, with a lack of genuine local community engagement. Key directions identified by participants for the future of the site were nature friendly activities such as tourism, biking trails, forestry, and the renewal of viticulture.

Applying an ecosystem services framework on nature and mental health to recreational blue space visits across 18 countries

The effects of ‘nature’ on mental health and subjective well-being have yet to be consistently integrated into ecosystem service models and frameworks. To address this gap, we used data on subjective mental well-being from an 18-country survey to test a conceptual model integrating mental health with ecosystem services, initially proposed by Bratman et al. We analysed a range of individual and contextual factors in the context of 14,998 recreational visits to blue spaces, outdoor environments which prominently feature water. Consistent with the conceptual model, subjective mental well-being outcomes were dependent upon on a complex interplay of environmental type and quality, visit characteristics, and individual factors. These results have implications for public health and environmental management, as they may help identify the bluespace locations, environmental features, and key activities, that are most likely to impact well-being, but also potentially affect recreational demand on fragile aquatic ecosystems.

Ecology meets archaeology: Past, present and future vegetation‐derived ecosystems services from the Nuragic Sardinia (1700–580 BCE)

Abstract Incorporating archaeology within the ecosystem services (ES) framework can offer decision‐makers lessons from the past and a broader sustainability perspective. Given the claimed archaeology‐ES link, the island of Sardinia (Italy) offers an unparalleled opportunity where a unique archaeological heritage occurs in an area of high biodiversity value. More than 5000 nuraghi, megalithic edifices distinctive of the Nuragic civilization (1700–580 BCE), are still present on the island. By crossing the map of Vegetation Series (VS) with nuraghi occurrences, we aimed at acquiring a long‐term perspective on the interactions between Nuragic people and the vegetation as ES provider, so as to enrich our understanding of the past and the present, and potentially inform future practice for the region of Sardinia. A VS is here intended as a hypothesis of a succession of plant communities that can potentially succeed each other over time in a particular land unit. The vegetation‐derived ES represented a driving force in the land occupation strategies of the Nuragic people, who preferred, for their settlements, the mesophiluos cork oak VS and secondary the deciduous broad‐leaved ones, which, with fresh climatic conditions on fertile substrates and gentle slopes on effusive magmatic rocks, can provide land for grazing and agriculture. Conversely, the Nuragic land occupation strategies shaped the VS, transforming the landscape into agro‐silvo‐pastoral systems. Our results suggest that the origin of the present agro‐silvo‐pastoral landscapes (i.e. Pascolo arborato/Dehesa) in Sardinia could be traced back to the Nuragic civilization. The interaction between humans and vegetation in Sardinia is ancient, reciprocal and dynamic. This interaction is crucial for the survival of the present agro‐silvo‐pastoral landscapes that represent important suppliers of provisioning, regulating and cultural ES. Among others, these landscapes are a good example of intimate and sustainable relationships between people and nature and provide a marked sense of place and identity for Sardinia inhabitants. This transdisciplinary approach linking plant ecology with archaeology offered archaeology a better understanding of the environmental settings and subsistence of the Nuragic civilization and provided plant ecology with a long‐term perspective on human‐vegetation interactions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.