Inclusion Of Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Quantifying Co-Benefits and Trade-Offs between Forest Ecosystem Services in the Gan River Basin of South China

Forest ecosystem services are intrinsically linked. We design a spatially explicit approach to quantify and analyze the co-benefits and trade-offs between the main forest ecosystem services. Our goal is to develop criteria for forest management that include ecosystem service interactions. Chinese fir and pine plantations provide the largest portion of the overall ecosystem services currently provided. They are volume stock and water yield service hotspots, but these have negative effects on soil retention and carbon storage, causing environmental problems. The natural forests (broad-leaf and bamboo forests) are carbon storage and volume stock hotspots and show the lowest erosion modulus. Thus, their protection, combined with expanding the plantation area under forest management should be considered in order to increase ecosystem service synergies. In contrast, an increased area of broad-leaf plantations reduces water yield service due to their lower water production capacity, in comparison with plantations of fast-growing species. Our study shows that the inclusion of ecosystem services as part of forest management could provide opportunities for optimal allocation of forest resources and sustainable utilization. Management based only on economically beneficial ecosystem services can be detrimental to the forest ecosystem and can cause environmental problems.

Global adaptation readiness and income mitigate sectoral climate change vulnerabilities

Climate change has become a global burden, requiring strong institutional quality and willingness to mitigate future impacts. Though emissions are transboundary and have the tendency of spreading from high emitting countries to low emitting countries, regional exposure, sensitivity, and adaptation readiness determine the extent of climate effects. The existing literature focuses on immediate drivers and damages of emission effects, failing to account for underlying mechanisms occurring via the nexus between emission levels, economic, social, and governance adaptation readiness. Here, this study broadens the scope of previous attempts and simultaneously examines climate change vulnerability across sectors including ecosystem services, food, health, human habitat, infrastructure, and water. We use the Romano–Wolf technique to test multiple hypotheses and present the spatial–temporal severity of climate vulnerability and readiness to combat climate change and its impacts. Besides, we assess the long-term impact of climate change readiness and income expansion on sectoral-climate vulnerabilities. We find that high-income economies with high social, governance, and economic readiness have low climate vulnerability whereas developing economies with low income have high climate change exposure and sensitivity. Our empirical evidence could be used to prioritize limited resources in addressing and managing adaptive actions of extreme climate change vulnerabilities.

Exploring mechanisms to pay for ecosystem services provided by mussels, oysters and seaweeds

This explorative study identifies and evaluates mechanisms for payment for ecosystem services provided by mussel, oyster and seaweed aquaculture. Concerns about the economic profitability of farming mussels, oysters and seaweeds hamper upscaling of production. It is argued that valuing and capitalizing the ecosystem services provided by the production of these lower trophic species can benefit the business case. The Delphi method is used to consult experts across the world in various sectors, including industry, NGO, science and government. Six payment mechanisms for ecosystem services were considered feasible; tax-payer funded payments, tradeable credits, encouraging subsidies, social licenses to produce, production cost-sharing schemes and increased utility for consumers. The latter was deemed most feasible, with little differences in feasibility found in the other five. There are however barriers to implementation in a lack of solid quantification, inadequate regulatory framework and lack of independent validation. Future payment mechanisms for ecosystem services provided by mussels, oysters and seaweeds need solid, science-based measurements based on sound monitoring indicators to quantify effects on the ecosystem services, liaised with relevant existing carbon and nitrogen credit trading schemes and an independent checks-and-balances for long-term trust in such payment schemes. The need for better mechanisms for capitalization justify further development of better data and knowledge of these mechanisms, inclusion of ecosystem services in new regulations and more political and societal support to implement them.

Environmental Impacts Related to Closed Mines in Inner Mongolia

Mining activities, while promoting social and economic development, alter the environments and ecosystems of mining areas. Some of the alterations have negative impacts on the environment, while some have positive impacts. By understanding the positive and negative impacts related to closed mines in Inner Mongolia, this research aims to seek advantages of the positive impacts on the environment and reduce the harm of the negative impacts, extending the mining value chain. The paper reviewed four main negative environmental impacts (NEIs) of closed mines and proposed four positive environmental impacts (PEIs) which include ecosystem services, cultural services, land resources and underground space resources, and energy sources and mineral resources. The paper focused on the environmental problems and the PEI utilization of closed mines in Inner Mongolia with 20 representative cases. It carefully studied the Minda Mine which is a good example to combine several PEI utilization objectives. Multiple PEI objectives, as well as the correlations among different objectives, can benefit closed mines ecologically, economically, and socially. In addition, a three-step framework for closed mine revitalization and the factors affecting the compound PEI objectives are mentioned in the paper.

A big-data analysis of human-nature relations in newspaper coverage

Studying human-nature relations in large socio-ecological systems is vital for sustainability; however, it is challenging. Big-data analyses provide a new opportunity to carry out large-scale studies. To explore this opportunity, we examined 25,019 newspaper articles related to nature in 13 countries in Asia using machine learning techniques. The results revealed opportunities and challenges in shaping sustainable human-nature relations, which included the following: many human-nature relations might not yet be captured in literature; cultural ecosystem services might help increase the public’s interests in sustainability; regional context matters; and the public might have lower interest in people’s positive contributions to nature compared to other human-nature relations. The diversity of topics identified suggests that multiple conceptual frameworks, including ecosystem services, nature’s contributions to people, ecological footprint, and social-ecological systems, are needed. This result highlights the need for pluralistic frameworks to comprehensively examine human-nature relations. Overall, the study demonstrates that big-data applications support the analysis of diverse and complex human-nature systems that could help advance the field forward.

Managing flood risks in a changing climate

Managing flood risks in a changing climate

Surviving Invasion: Regaining Native Fish Resilience Following Fish Invasions in a Modified Floodplain Landscape

AbstractFloodplain ecosystems are focal points for human settlement, and consequently are often subjected to extensive modification and infrastructure development. Establishment of non‐native species in floodscapes presents a range of challenges when they become problematic and drive changes in native aquatic communities and ecosystems. These non‐native species are often tolerant of reduced water and habitat quality, conferring a competitive advantage over native species. The coupled effects of invasive alien species, landscape modification and floodscape hydrological control collectively reduce ecological resilience, creating feedback loops that reinforce negative effects on native fish. The regulated lower Waikato River floodplain is a New Zealand hotspot for fish introductions, with their proliferation exacerbating the effects of agricultural development, urban expansion, and flood control infrastructure. We argue that the resilience of native fish assemblages to these pressures can be improved through utilizing a series of complementary measures, including enhanced catchment management, strategic alterations to the location, design, and operation of floodplain infrastructure (e.g., gates, pumpstations, and stopbanks), habitat restoration for native fish, and targeted management of invasive species. These measures will need to consider the likely persistence of invasive alien fish, however, to limit their expansion in the face of a changing climate. Although knowledge and implementation gaps exist, tying these strands together presents an opportunity to enhance the resilience of native fisheries into the future. Key to success will be re‐thinking floodplain management to include ecosystem services, and this will require ongoing commitment and cooperation amongst all stakeholders to address knowledge gaps and enable effective implementation.

The Role of Selected Ecosystem Services in Different Farming Systems in Poland Regarding the Differentiation of Agricultural Land Structure

The functioning of various agroecosystems is nowadays shaped by different farming systems, which may impair their functions, as well as being beneficial to them. The benefits include ecosystem services, defined as economic and noneconomic values gained by humans from ecosystems, through supporting soil formation and nutrient circulation, and the impact of agriculture on climate and biodiversity. Their mutual flow and various disturbances depend on the agroecosystem’s management method, which is associated with the type of management of agricultural land (AL) in individual farms. This paper raises a problem of transformation in the structure of three main farming systems in Poland, in 2004–2018, in relation to the implementation of 16 selected ecosystem services and their scale. Special attention was given to organic farming, as the most environmentally friendly and sustainable. The analysis demonstrates the increase in ALs in that type of production during the analyzed period of time. Disparities of transformation associated with the type of agricultural system were noticeable at the regional level, which were presented in 16 Polish voivodeships. The results of the analysis confirm that the organic system, which is an important carrier of various ecosystem services, gained a stable position. Moreover, areas with integrated farming still do not exceed 0.5% of total agricultural lands in such voivodeships. The analysis of factors influencing the deterioration or disappearance of selected environmental services characterizing agricultural systems indicates the need to depart from an intensive conventional management system.

Linking multiple values of nature with future impacts: value-based participatory scenario development for sustainable landscape governance

Reaching sustainable and just futures for people and nature requires tackling complex social-ecological challenges across multiple scales, from local to global. Pathways towards such futures are largely driven by people’s decisions and actions, underpinned by multiple types of motivations and values. Thus, understanding the link between potential futures and the values underpinning them represents a key question of current sustainability research, recently embraced by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Particularly the understanding of causal chains leading from values to futures across different contexts and scales is vital to identify which sustainability pathways to collectively pursue. In this study, we build on a transdisciplinary knowledge co-creation process in an array of local case studies in protected areas in the Czechia (Central Europe). We apply the Life Framework of Values and the Three Horizons framework in an innovative value-based participatory scenario building process to explore the relationships between (1) multiple types of values, (2) actions taken by different types of stakeholders, and (3) their potential impacts on nature, nature’s contributions to people (including ecosystem services) and good quality of life. The resulting local-scale value-based pathways show the complex relationship between multiple types of values for nature and potential future trajectories. Finally, we reflect on the utility of value-based participatory scenario planning as a means to strengthen sustainable governance. We highlight that if participatory deliberation of values is to support decision-making processes, its design needs to carefully reflect local context and institutional set-up.

Multifunctional modelling in the life cycle assessment of honey considering pollination

An apicultural system is characterised by multifunctionality, with one of the functions being the pollination service performed by honeybees, which is of fundamental importance for the nutrition of mankind. The discussion on including ecosystem services in the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology has opened; this article proposes an alternative way of considering ecosystem services in the specific case of a multifunctional system. Indeed, in an LCA implementation, this study applies an economic allocation between the main product (honey) and the pollination service performed by domesticated honeybees for the ecosystems. Here, the consideration of the pollination service in two honey (orange-blossom and cherry-blossom) LCA case studies is examined. The multifunctionality was managed by performing an economic allocation between the main product (honey) and the pollination service. The economic value of the main product was calculated by using specific costing approaches for honey, whilst the one of the pollination service by using its market value, where applicable, or on the basis of the dependence of the two species of fruit trees (related to the two types of honey analysed) upon pollination. The calculated values were then used in the main scenario of the study. The results of the case studies showed that the potential environmental impact of honey decreases for all impact categories when the economic allocation is performed. Electricity consumption for the storage of supers in the hives placement phase and the use of packaging materials were found to be the most impacting processes for both honey types, as well as the transport by aircraft for the distribution of the product overseas. Water consumption was the first most affected impact category, followed by human carcinogenic toxicity and terrestrial ecotoxicity. A sensitivity analysis confirmed the results. Given the identified hotspots, an attempt should be made to reduce the impact of glass (for the jar) and steel (for the lid) by reducing their mass per unit as well as the electricity consumption for the refrigeration of supers. Furthermore, different options for distributing the product abroad should be examined.

Aromatic plants based environmental sustainability with special reference to degraded land management

Land resources are under severe threat to meet its present demand due to unsustainable land use practices worldwide, industrialization, urbanization and pollution. In the present era of limited fertile land, degraded land including polluted and marginal lands are focal to meet the global needs of population. Degraded land restoration and marginal land utilization are vital for economical, environmental and social point of view including all aspects of ecosystem services of present and future. The present technologies for degraded land restoration include costly and unsustainable physical, chemical and biological methods which cannot be imposed without proper technological input. Aromatic crops are in high demand for industries like aroma, food, cosmetic, perfumery, toiletary etc. Certain perennial and annual aromatic crops are adaptable to the harsh environmental conditions of degraded lands. In the present literature, we recommend the adoption of aromatic plants for sustainable management of degraded and marginal lands to achieve the objectives of sustainable development goals (SDGs), boost circular economy and in situ restoration of degraded and marginal lands to achieve various tangible and intangible benefits including ecosystem services.

Analysis of forest-related policies for supporting ecosystem services-based forest management in Bangladesh

The role of the ecosystem services concept in natural resource management policies is gaining popularity globally as a means to offer increased protection of biodiversity conservation, integrated natural resource management and for promoting sustainable forest management. However, assessments of the concept in supporting forest management, through its inclusion in forest policy, is yet to be fully understood in a developing-country context.We analysed national forest-related policy to determine if the elements of the ecosystem services concept or ecosystem services categories were represented in order to support regional and national forest and tree management and rural livelihoods in Bangladesh. Specifically we assessed the policy objectives, statements and proposed programmes of ten policy/legislative documents. We applied a weighted scoring system to assess the coherence between existing policies and the ecosystem services concept and three categories of ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating and cultural services). It was found that, while ecosystem services were mentioned in all forest-related policies in Bangladesh, only one policy covered the ecosystem services concept. No policies provided details on operational aspects, including ecosystem services assessment, the decision-making process and scales of implementation. Different specific forest- and tree-based ecosystem services were not identified clearly in any current policy. All policies reviewed explicitly mentioned regulating services (i.e. carbon sequestration and water regulation) more often than provisioning and cultural services. Given this, we recommend that the current policies should consider ecosystem services-based management goals and decision-making in order to maximise the local benefits of forests and trees in the contexts of diverse social-ecological systems. Different specific forest- and tree-based ecosystem services should be clearly identified in the current forestry and other natural resource management policies in order to enhance the synergy between forests and competing land management practices.

Evidence for the effects of decommissioning man-made structures on marine ecosystems globally: a systematic map protocol

BackgroundNumerous man-made structures (MMS) have been installed in various parts of the ocean (e.g. oil and gas structures, offshore wind installations). Many are now at, or nearing, the end of their intended life. Currently, we only have a limited understanding of decommissioning effects. In many locations, such as the North Sea, regulations restrict decommissioning options to complete removal, with little consideration of alternative management options might offer. To generate a reliable evidence-base to inform the decision-making processes pertaining to marine MMS management, we propose a wide-encompassing systematic map of published research on the ecosystem effects (including ecosystem services) of marine MMS while in place and following cessation of operations (i.e. including effects of alternative decommissioning options). This map is undertaken as part of the UKRI DREAMS project which aims to develop a system to show the relative effects of implementing different decommissioning strategies in the North Sea.MethodFor the purpose of this map, we will keep our focus global, in order to subsequently draw comparisons between marine regions. The proposed map will aim to answer the following two primary questions: 1. What published evidence exists for the effects of marine man-made structures while in place on the marine ecosystem? 2. What published evidence exists for the effects of the decommissioning of marine man-made structures on the marine ecosystem? The map will follow the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence Guidelines and Standards for Evidence Synthesis in Environmental Management. Searches will be run primarily in English in at least 13 databases and 4 websites. Returns will be screened at title/abstract level and at full-text against pre-defined criteria. Relevant meta-data will be extracted for each study included. Results will be used to build a database of evidence, which will be made freely available. This map, expected to be large, will improve our knowledge of the available evidence for the ecosystem effects of MMS in the global marine environment. It will subsequently inform the production of multiple systematic-reviews and meta-analyses.

Mariculture research of Macrocystis pyrifera and Saccharina latissima in Southeast Alaska

AbstractThere has been increasing interest in Alaska regarding the commercial mariculture of kelp. Kelp farming can be an economic engine for coastal communities of Alaska. Other benefits include ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and mitigation of eutrophication. In support of this interest, several kelp species have been examined for commercial potential. In the 1980s–1990s, experiments were performed on the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera. Female gametophytes were exposed to varying levels of chelated iron. Relatively low levels of chelated iron (1–5 μM) stimulated the onset of oogenesis. In contrast, higher iron concentrations inhibited egg production. Outplant experiments with Macrocystis in Sitka, AK showed growth in the winter and spring, slowing down to zero growth by the end of summer. Fertilizing outplants in August allowed plants to survive and grow during the ensuing winter. Mariculture experiments with Saccharina latissima carried out near Juneau, Alaska showed exponential growth for seeded lines set out from September to March. Optimal growth occurred for outplants in October–November, with growth rates of up to 5% per day. The best growth occurred when lines were 2–3 m below the surface. Growth rates declined in May–June corresponding to a decrease in inorganic nitrogen in the water. Slower growth also resulted in severe fouling.

Public support for restoration: Does including ecosystem services as a goal engage a different set of values and attitudes than biodiversity protection alone?

The ecosystem services concept has come into wide use in conservation and natural resource management, partly due to its appeal as an anthropocentric rationale for protecting and restoring nature. Proponents of the ecosystem services concept expect that presenting these arguments alongside biodiversity arguments should lead to a broader base of support for conservation. This raises the question of whether support for activities that ensure ecosystem service provision relates to different sets of core values, or environmental attitudes, than support for biodiversity protection. We surveyed adult Australians to evaluate the influence of values and attitudes on willingness to pay for different habitat restoration outcomes. We hypothesized that when restoration is framed with an anthropocentric rationale (such as ecosystem service provision), support for restoration would align more strongly with anthropocentric or self-centered values and attitudes. Specifically, we tested if preference for ecosystem service benefits over biodiversity attributes, as indicated by willingness to pay in different restoration scenarios, is more strongly associated with self-enhancing (Egoistic) than self-transcending (Altruistic and Biospheric) values, and more associated with a pro-use attitude towards nature (Utilization) than an anti-use attitude (Preservation). We found that support for habitat restoration is generally based on ecocentric values and attitudes, but that positive associations between pro-environmental behavior and Egoistic values emerge when emphasis is placed on ecosystem service outcomes. Individuals scoring higher on Egoistic/Utilization metrics were also more likely to anticipate disservices from restoration. Attitudes predicted behavioral intention (willingness to pay) better than core values. Our results support the notion that the ecosystem services concept garners nontraditional backers and broadens the appeal of ecological restoration.

Diversity and potentiality of multi-criteria decision analysis methods for agri-food research

There is a growing demand for moving towards sustainable agri-food systems which per nature covers a complex network of activities and domains; such systems will benefit from multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods. Although some reviews on MCDA in agri-food research have been published, none of them covered the whole value chain. In this article, a corpus of 954 articles published by INRA scientists from 2007 to 2017 was used to study the diversity and potentiality of MCDA techniques. For the first time, experts from more than 10 agri-food domains worked altogether to annotate the articles, carry out a multivariate analysis, and finally interpret the statistical results to identify the specificities of certain domains and the complementarities between domains and to suggest avenues for future agri-food research. One-third of the studies were based only on a list of indicators, even when their purpose was to choose, sort, or rank options. Regardless of the scientific discipline in the agri-food sector, MCDA studies rarely considered temporal dynamics, spatial scale changes, or stakeholder contributions. As the agri-food system becomes increasingly sustainable in the near future, the use of MCDA methods will accelerate. To become more effective, they will have to include ecosystem services, even outside the scope of ecological studies. Similarly, MCDA studies will need to include participatory science to involve stakeholders (i.e., public authorities, governmental agencies) and end-users (i.e., farmers, producers, industrials, consumers) in the construction of the multi-criteria evaluation but also in the resulting decisions.

Characterisation of ecosystem-based adaptations to drought in the central cattle corridor of Uganda

Ecosystems provide climate-change adaptation opportunities including ecosystem services, adaptation benefits and livelihood improvement especially for natural resource dependent communities. To contribute to the understanding of location specific adaptation processes of predominantly agro-pastoralists, a study was carried out in the central cattle corridor of Uganda to characterise ecosystem-based drought Adaptations. A cross sectional survey using semi-structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were employed among 183 randomly selected households. The ecosystem-based adaptations (EbAs) to perceived drought impacts were characterised basing on ecosystem services, adaptation benefits to drought and livelihood improvement categories unveiling the different proportions of each EbA under each category. Water shortage and intense heat were the major perceived drought impacts. The use of drought resistant shade trees, water reservoirs and dams, and alternative ecosystem-based livelihoods were the majorly utilised EbAs. The alternative ecosystem-based livelihoods were the mostly used EbA dominating all the three categories. The utilisation of drought resistant shade trees dominated the ecosystem services and adaptation benefits categories, whereas the use of water reservoirs and dams were the mostly used EbA for livelihood improvement. These EbAs should be incorporated in climate-change adaptation policies and initiatives, while considering their subsequent dominating categories to enhance farmers’ resilience.

Working with Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) in large‐scale ecological assessments: Reviewing the experience of the IPBES Global Assessment

Abstract There have been calls for greater inclusion of Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) in applied ecosystems research and ecological assessments. The Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment (GA) is the first global scale assessment to systematically engage with ILK and issues of concern to Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC). In this paper, we review and reflect on how the GA worked with ILK and lessons learned. The GA engaged in critical evaluation and synthesis of existing evidence from multiple sources, using several deliberative steps: having specific authors and questions focus on ILK; integrating inputs from ILK across all chapters; organizing dialogue workshops; issuing calls for contributions to identify other forms and systems of knowledge; and encouraging IPLC to be key stakeholders and contributors. We identify content areas where attention to ILK was particularly important for questions in applied ecology. These include: (a) enriching understandings of nature and its contributions to people, including ecosystem services; (b) assisting in assessing and monitoring ecosystem change; (c) contributing to international targets and scenario development to achieve global goals like the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals and (d) generating inclusive and policy‐relevant options for people and nature. However, challenges in engaging different knowledge systems were also encountered. Policy implications. The Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment (GA) demonstrated the importance of Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC) to global biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. Initiatives seeking to engage Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) can learn from the experience of the GA. Successfully bringing ILK into assessment processes and policy arenas requires a deliberate framework and approach from the start that facilitates recognition of different knowledge systems, identifies questions relevant at various scales, mobilizes funding and recognizes time required and engages networks of stakeholders with diverse worldviews. In turn, fostering inclusion of ILK and partnering with IPLC can help future assessments understand how natural and cultural systems co‐produce each other, identify trends of change through diverse biocultural indicators and improve sustainable development goals and policies.

Participatory Mapping of Cultural Ecosystem Services in Madrid: Insights for Landscape Planning

Cultural ecosystem services are gaining increasing attention in the scientific literature, despite the conceptual and methodological difficulties associated with their assessment. We used a participatory GIS method to map and assess three cultural ecosystem services, namely, (a) outdoor recreation, (b) aesthetic enjoyment, and (c) sense of place, in the Madrid region (Spain). The main goal of the study was to identify cultural ecosystem service hotspots in the region and to explore the relationships among the three ecosystem services mapped. We developed a Maptionnaire online questionnaire asking participants to locate places that they associate with these three ecosystem services and their main reasons for choosing those places on a map. We collected 580 complete questionnaires with 1710 location points (807 for outdoor recreation, 506 for aesthetic enjoyment and 397 for sense of place). We found that the three ecosystem services analysed were spatially correlated, with similar hotspots appearing across the region. Most of the identified hotspots were located in the northern part of the region, which is characterised by mountains and forests. Other hotspots appeared within the city of Madrid, highlighting the importance of urban green areas. Natural protected areas supplied significantly more cultural ecosystem services than non-protected areas. Among CORINE land-use types, forested areas, mountain shrubs and rocky landscapes were more relevant than arable lands for the supply of cultural ecosystem services. Our results highlight the utmost importance of including ecosystem services mapping within land-use planning and policy-making agendas to ensure the conservation of areas supplying cultural services that are critical for societal wellbeing.

Concept of ecosystem services and its implementation in Ukraine

Development in harmony with nature is a fundamental social paradigm, the realisation of which depends on fulfilment of basic conditions, namely preservation and restoration of the the natural environment as well as ensuring the ecologically safe functioning of ecosystems. There is a need to find a compromise between the social and economic needs of mankind and the potential of the biosphere to satisfy them. At the present stage of development of society, the tools based on economic interest are the most efficient for the effective use, preservation and restoration of ecosystem functions. The economic contributions of ecosystems are not fully taken into account in the modern economy. This is largely explained by the lack of a coherent scientific approach to defining their nature and lack of methodological tools for their economic evaluation. In this regard, the need arises for undertaking appropriate scientific research and the inclusion of ecosystem services in the activities of business entities. The concept of ecosystem services is based on the need for co-evolutionary development of environmental and economic components. There is no single approach to implementing the concept of ecosystem services that would meet the environmental conditions of every geographical site. Generalisation and systematisation of the provisions of the concept of ecosystem services, verification of the basic mechanisms and their adaptation to the legal and regulatory framework in Ukraine, examination of the conditions of ecosystems and their economic value are necessary for the implementation of the ecosystem approach in the sectors of the Ukrainian economy. The objective of the study is to characterise the progress of development and implementation of the concept of ecosystem services in Ukraine; to define and characterise the ecosystems in Ukraine that are particularly important for the provision of ecosystem services. Scientific principles and consistent patterns in the field of ecology, geography and landscape science provided the methodological basis of the study, which was based on a systematic approach. The cartographic method (based on GIS-technologies), the method of expert estimations and the statistical method were used. ArcGis and Mapinfo Professional software products as well as Google satellite images and electronic vector layers of a topographic map of Ukraine with a scale of 1:200,000 were used to calculate the area of ecosystems within landscapes and create cartographic material. Statistical and cartographic materials, reports from research institutions, regulatory and reference materials, scientific papers written by domestic and foreign scholars provided the information basis of the study. Scientific papers on the classification of ecosystems, ecosystem services and the implementation of the concept of ecosystem services in Ukraine have been analysed. The categories, size and area of ecosystems in Ukraine that are of particular importance for the provision of ecosystem services have been defined, their ecological condition has been assessed and the prevailing ecosystem services have been identified.