Ecosystem service potentials, flows and demands-concepts for spatial localisation, indication and quantification

authored by: Benjamin Burkhard, Marion Kandziora, Ying Hou, Felix Müller
Abstract: The high variety of ecosystem service categorisation systems, assessment frameworks, indicators, quantification methods and spatial localisation approaches allows scientists and decision makers to harness experience, data, methods and tools. On the other hand, this variety of concepts and disagreements among scientists hamper an integration of ecosystem services into contemporary environmental management and decision making. In this article, the current state of the art of ecosystem service science regarding spatial localisation, indication and quantification of multiple ecosystem service supply and demand is reviewed and discussed. Concepts and tables for regulating, provisioning and cultural ecosystem service definitions, distinguishing between ecosystem service potential supply (stocks), flows (real supply) and demands as well as related indicators for quantification are provided. Furthermore, spatial concepts of service providing units, benefitting areas, spatial relations, rivalry, spatial and temporal scales are elaborated. Finally, matrices linking CORINE land cover types to ecosystem service potentials, flows, demands and budget estimates are provided. The matrices show that ecosystem service potentials of landscapes differ from flows, especially for provisioning ecosystem services.
External Organisation(s): Kiel University
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)
Type: Article
Journal: Landscape Online
Volume: 34
Pages: 1-32
No. of pages: 32
ISSN: 1865-1542
Publication date: 2014
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Ecology, Nature and Landscape Conservation
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 15 - Life on Land
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.3097/LO.201434 (Access: Open)