Worldwide network to enhance the science, policy and practice of ecosystem services for conservation and sustainable development

Home » Community » Regional chapters and National networks » South-East Europe » Greece – HESP » Activities & Outputs HESP » Sofia 2017 Abstract

Sofia 2017 Abstract

Drafting the national agenda for the implementation of the Ecosystem Services mapping and assessment in the Greek territory

Dimopoulos P1, Drakou E2, Katsanevakis S3, Kormas K4, Kallimanis A5, Tsiafouli M5, Kokkoris I1 & Arends J6

  1. University of Patras, Department of Biology, Division of Plant Biology, University Campus, 26504 Rio, Greece; E-mail: [email protected]
  2. Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Rue Dumont d’ Urville, 29280 Plouzané, France
  3. University of the Aegean, Department of Marine Sciences, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
  4. University of Thessaly, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ichthyology & Aquatic Environment, Volos, 384 46, Greece
  5. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Biology, Department of Ecology, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
  6. South Eastern Europe Development (SEEDEV), Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 10d, Belgrade, Serbia

Ecosystem Services (ES) assessment and mapping is well advancing (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005; De Groot et al., 2010; TEEB, 2010; Maes et al., 2012, 2013) within the communities of research and practice globally. Ecosystem services assessments can promote sustainable and equitable use and management of natural resources, being an instrument that stands at the science-policy-practice interface. Although worldwide many national ES assessments are well advanced, the process in Greece is still at its infancy. Numerous projects and scientific studies have showcased results on environmental management techniques, but without a direct connection with the relevant ES provided. Only recently, some ES studies have been conducted (e.g. Oikonomou et al., 2010; Katsanevakis et al., 2014; Kokkoris & Dimopoulos, 2016), covering a small part of the vast and complex field of the ES concept. At the same time, Greece, as any other EU Member State, is called to map and assess its ecosystems and their services, so-called MAES studies, following the Action 5 of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy. To cope with these objectives a scientific /technical committee has been established to coordinate the ES research and implementation activities in Greece. Its primary goal is to identify priorities, plan and guide the next steps on applying the ES concept in scientific research with the final goal to incorporate it as a priority objective and as a tool at the environmental management plans, conservation actions, development planning, decision making and policy implementation among others. In this short communication, we will present: the consortium, the scope and the objectives of the Hellenic Ecosystem Services Partnership (HESP); an overview of the first ES assessments in Greece; and the compiled ES national agenda highlighting its short- and long- term objectives.

Keywords: Assessment, Ecosystem Services, Greece, HESP, MAES

References:

De Groot RS et al. (2010) Challenges in integrating the concept of ecosystem services and values in landscape planning, management and decision making. Ecological Complexity 7, 260–272.
Katsanevakis et al. (2014) Impacts of invasive alien marine species on ecosystem services and biodiversity: a pan-European review. Aquatic invasions 9(4), 391-423.
Kokkoris I & Dimopoulos P (2016) Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services at the mountainous Natura 2000 sites of Greece. Book of abstracts of the European Ecosystem Services Conference. Belgium, Antwerp, 2016.
Maes J et al. (2012) Mapping ecosystem services for policy support and decision making in the European Union. Ecosystem Services 1, 31-39.
Maes J et al. (2013) Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services. An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under action 5 of the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020. Publications office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Biodiversity Synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C. (USA).
Oikonomou V et al. (2010) Incorporating Ecosystem Function Concept in Environmental Planning and Decision Making by Means of Multi-Criteria Evaluation: The Case-Study of Kalloni, Lesbos, Greece. Environmental Management 47, 77-92.
TEEB (2010) The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: ecological and economic foundation. Earthscan, Cambridge.