Spatial framework for assessing evidence needs for operational ecosystem

Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance provided by the members of the JNCC steering group over the course of this project. The authors would also like to thank the following organisations for the provision of data: Executive Summary The ecosystem services approach is a key element of planning for sustainable development. This report outlines the results of a study undertaken for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to develop the use of spatially-based biodiversity data for the delivery of work on ecosystem services. The project demonstrates the process and outcomes of taking a pragmatic approach to assessment of ecosystem services, with emphasis placed on utilising the large body of data already available to inform policy decisions at national, regional and local levels. Using these datasets, an ecosystem service 'spatial framework' has been developed to assist users and demonstrate what is currently possible when it comes to mapping and modelling of ecosystem services. This project takes the UK NEA descriptions of environmental goods and services and further analyses these in terms of current data and knowledge about each service, for each ecosystem. This project extends and expands on the work of the UKNEA and the Welsh NEF, considering how the knowledge and understanding within the NEF can best be mapped using existing datasets, so that policy makers and others can begin to appreciate the spatial extent of the ecosystem services presented. The resulting framework sets out the data and information about the relevant habitat that will be important in helping to quantify and map its role in ecosystem service mapping. Behind the rationale of the work is the basic premise that every parcel of land affects the delivery of many ecosystem services in some way, even if this contribution is only small (or has a negative effect on that service). The framework shows how to link the physical and biological characteristics of habitats and the major ecosystem services that they provide. Using case study areas from around the UK, the framework approach was tested using selected terrestrial and marine habitats, firstly to establish the validity of the approach and then to ensure that it was applicable for a range of habitats in different biogeographical zones and in areas with differing data availability. These case study areas were chosen with 'transferability' in mind, so that the habitats and services studied produced results which are widely applicable geographically. The project …