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The concept of ecosystem services has great potential to anchor nature conservation and species protection more firmly in a broader social debate. As an assessment framework, it illustrates the benefits of natural services in the broadest sense and is the subject of intense debate with regard to its scope and the operationalization required for spatial planning. In the sense of an integration into the social debate about the sustainable use of natural resources, the concept should be included in the canon of educational offers - beyond the 'classical' offers and topics of environmental education. This paper exemplifies how the concept is taught in school education (using the example of the Federal State of Saxony, Germany), and in higher education in selected subject areas in Germany as well as in the further education landscape for planning practitioners (in Germany, Austria and Switzerland). The paper shows approaches and deficits for a future goal-oriented operationalization of the concept. The focus is explicitly on environmental education and the provision of educational offers for actors in spatial planning, and reflects the current landscape of educational offers in the mentioned fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global changes and changes in land use, ecosystems and their services are increasingly affected. Against this background, it is questionable how ecosystems and the services they provide can be better and sufficiently taken into account in land-use planning as well as spatial development in Germany. Currently little chance is seen to establish new ecosystem service-based processes that would be comprehensively integrated in the spatial planning practice in Germany. However, modernisation of formal and informal planning instruments is conceived in a long-term perspective. The ecosystem service approach can essentially contribute to this modernisation methodically as well as conceptually. Therefore, this paper discusses possibilities how to integrate the ecosystem service approach in formal spatial planning in a short to medium term and which societal and ecological added value can be generated. Chances and risks of different implementation options will be discussed and specific approaches outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of ecosystem services can help to overcome implementation deficits in spatial planning and to promote the protection and sustainable use of nature and landscape. However, diverse findings on the concept's application in Germany have not yet been brought together and evaluated. The aim of this paper is to present theses on the meaningful and effective use of ecosystem services in spatial planning and the promotion of sustainable spatial development. The theses are intended to summarize the state of knowledge and provide recommendations for use in practice and for further research. They are divided into three thematic areas: Theses on the benefits of the ecosystem services concept, on obstacles and potentials of its use and theses on needs for action. The theses are intended to motivate practitioners and scientists to apply the ecosystem services concept in appropriate planning contexts, to use it for better protection and development of nature and landscape, and to support transformation processes towards sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]