Soil Functions & Ecosystem Services

Schwilch, Gudrun, Bernet, Lea, Claringbould, Heleen, Fleskens, Luuk, Giannakis, Elias, Leventon, Julia, Marañón, Teodora, Mills, Jane ORCID: 0000-0003-3835-3058, Short, Christopher J ORCID: 0000-0003-0429-1143, Stolte, Jannes, van Delden, Hedwig and Verzandvoort, Simone (2015) Soil Functions & Ecosystem Services. In: Soil threats in Europe: status, methods, drivers and effects on ecosystem services. European Union, pp. 155-206. ISBN 9789279540196

Preview

Text Soil Functions & Ecosystem Services.pdf - Published Version Available under License All Rights Reserved. Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

In order to fulfil RECARE’s aim to quantify in a harmonized, spatially explicit way impacts of degradation and conservation on soil functions and ecosystem services, it is important to understand the concept and review the current scientific debate. This will lay the foundation for the development and selection of appropriate methods to measure, evaluate, communicate and negotiate the services we obtain from soils with stakeholders in order to improve land management. Despite various research activities in the last decades across the world, many challenges remain to integrate the concept of ecosystem services (ES) in decision-making, and a coherent approach to assess and value ES is still lacking (de Groot et al., 2010). There are many different, often context-specific, ES frameworks with their own definitions and understanding of terms. This chapter therefore aims to identify the state of the art and knowledge gaps in order to develop an operational framework of the ES concept for the RECARE project. It will provide an overview on existing soil functions and ES frameworks and on approaches to monitor and value ES, with a special focus on soil aspects. Furthermore, it will address the question how the ES concept is operationalized in research projects and land management in Europe so far. Based on this review, the chapter concludes with a suggestion of an adapted ES framework for RECARE and on how to operationalize it for practical application in preventing and remediating degradation of soils in Europe.

Item Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	Chapter 13
Subjects:	S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S589.75 Agriculture and the environment S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S589.7 Agricultural ecology (General) S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S900 Conservation of natural resources including land conservation
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > Countryside and Community Research Institute
Research Priority Areas:	Place, Environment and Community
Depositing User:	Eleanor Hawketts
Date Deposited:	06 Jun 2016 09:48
Last Modified:	04 Feb 2022 09:30
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/3581

University Staff: Request a correction | Repository Editors: Update this record