In: van der Sluis , T , Arts , B , Kok , K , Bogers , M , Busck , A G , Sepp , K , Loupa-Ramos , I , Pavlis , V , Geamana , N & Crouzat , E 2019 , ' Drivers of European landscape change : stakeholders' perspectives through Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping ' , Landscape Research , vol. 44 , no. 4 , pp. 458-476 . https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2018.1446074
Understanding complex processes of landscape change is crucial to guide the development of future landscapes and land resources. Through Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping, we studied the processes of landscape change of six different environmental zones in Europe. Results show that landscapes are complex systems, with many interactions. Except for one, all regions show a strong decline in landscape quality. Dominant drivers are EU policy and the global economy, sometimes in conjunction with environmental drivers or the governance system. The process of change differs for all cases, through urbanisation or land abandonment in some cases, and agricultural intensification in others. The (un)intended effects of policies are difficult to predict. Although some EU Policies directly improve landscape quality, their indirect effects as well as other EU policies outweigh this positive influence and jointly result in a decrease of landscape quality. To counter these negative side effects, targeted landscape policies are urgently needed.
The European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action ESMERALDA aimed at developing guidance and a flexible methodology for Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) to support the EU member states in the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy's Target 2 Action 5. ESMERALDA's key tasks included network creation, stakeholder engagement, enhancing ecosystem services mapping and assessment methods across various spatial scales and value domains, work in case studies and support of EU member states in MAES implementation. Thus ESMERALDA aimed at integrating various project outcomes around four major strands: i) Networking, ii) Policy, iii) Research and iv) Application. The objective was to provide guidance for integrated ecosystem service mapping and assessment that can be used for sustainable decision-making in policy, business, society, practice and science at EU, national and regional levels. This article presents the overall ESMERALDA approach of integrating the above-mentioned project components and outcomes and provides an overview of how the enhanced methods were applied and how they can be used to support MAES implementation in the EU member states. Experiences with implementing such a large pan-European Coordination and Support Action in the context of EU policy are discussed and recommendations for future actions are given. ; ISSN:2367-8194
The European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action ESMERALDA aimed at developing guidance and a flexible methodology for Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) to support the EU member states in the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy's Target 2 Action 5. ESMERALDA's key tasks included network creation, stakeholder engagement, enhancing ecosystem services mapping and assessment methods across various spatial scales and value domains, work in case studies and support of EU member states in MAES implementation. Thus ESMERALDA aimed at integrating various project outcomes around four major strands: i) Networking, ii) Policy, iii) Research and iv) Application. The objective was to provide guidance for integrated ecosystem service mapping and assessment that can be used for sustainable decision-making in policy, business, society, practice and science at EU, national and regional levels. This article presents the overall ESMERALDA approach of integrating the above-mentioned project components and outcomes and provides an overview of how the enhanced methods were applied and how they can be used to support MAES implementation in the EU member states. Experiences with implementing such a large pan-European Coordination and Support Action in the context of EU policy are discussed and recommendations for future actions are given.
In: Burkhard , B , Maes , J , Potschin-Young , M B , Santos-Martín , F , Geneletti , D , Stoev , P , Kopperoinen , L , Adamescu , C M , Adem Esmail , B , Arany , I , Arnell , A , Balzan , M , Barton , D N , Van Beukering , P , Bicking , S , Borges , P A V , Borisova , B , Braat , L , Brander , L M , Bratanova-Doncheva , S , Broekx , S , Brown , C , Cazacu , C , Crossman , N , Czúcz , B , Danĕk , J , de Groot , R , Depellegrin , D , Dimopoulos , P , Elvinger , N , Erhard , M , Fagerholm , N , Frélichová , J , Grêt-Regamey , A , Grudova , M , Haines-Young , R , Inghe , O , Kallay , T K , Kirin , T , Klug , H , Kokkoris , I P , Konovska , I , Kruse , M , Kuzmova , I , Lange , M , Liekens , I , Lotan , A , Lowicki , D , Luque , S , Marta-Pedroso , C , Mizgajski , A , Mononen , L , Mulder , S , Müller , F , Nedkov , S , Nikolova , M , Östergård , H , Penev , L , Pereira , P , Pitkänen , K , Plieninger , T , Rabe , S E , Reichel , S , Roche , P K , Rusch , G , Ruskule , A , Sapundzhieva , A , Sepp , K , Sieber , I M , Šmid Hribar , M , Stašová , S , Steinhoff-Knopp , B , Stępniewska , M , Teller , A , Vackar , D , Van Weelden , M , Veidemane , K , Vejre , H , Vihervaara , P , Viinikka , A , Villoslada , M , Weibel , B & Zulian , G 2018 , ' Mapping and assessing ecosystem services in the EU - Lessons learned from the ESMERALDA approach of integration ' , One Ecosystem , vol. 3 , e29153 . https://doi.org/10.3897/oneeco.3.e29153
The European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action ESMERALDA aimed at developing guidance and a flexible methodology for Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) to support the EU member states in the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy's Target 2 Action 5. ESMERALDA's key tasks included network creation, stakeholder engagement, enhancing ecosystem services mapping and assessment methods across various spatial scales and value domains, work in case studies and support of EU member states in MAES implementation. Thus ESMERALDA aimed at integrating various project outcomes around four major strands: i) Networking, ii) Policy, iii) Research and iv) Application. The objective was to provide guidance for integrated ecosystem service mapping and assessment that can be used for sustainable decision-making in policy, business, society, practice and science at EU, national and regional levels. This article presents the overall ESMERALDA approach of integrating the above-mentioned project components and outcomes and provides an overview of how the enhanced methods were applied and how they can be used to support MAES implementation in the EU member states. Experiences with implementing such a large pan-European Coordination and Support Action in the context of EU policy are discussed and recommendations for future actions are given.