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Soil and soil biodiversity are often a neglected component in assessments of ecosystems and their services. One of the reasons is the increasing complexity of scientific investigation of biotic and abiotic interactions and mechanisms from soil biodiversity and soil components via ecosystem structures, processes, and functions that finally provide specific ecosystem services for human well-being. In particular, soil-related cultural ecosystem services are missing in the publications on interactions. We tested this hypothesis by using a systematic literature analysis and taking Germany as a case study. The findings revealed a huge research gap. Among 2104 peer-reviewed scientific papers, covering all types of soil-related ecosystem services, only 28 publications were related to soil-related cultural ecosystem services in Germany. Furthermore, the terminological awareness of "ecosystem services" is still limited. The following five main categories for cultural soil-related ecosystem services were identified: (1) place of sense, (2) spiritual value, (3) recreation, (4) forecasts and measures, and (5) soil as an archive. Soil as an archive was further divided into storage, archaeological site, and reconstruction of the past. By highlighting the importance of cultural soil-related ecosystem services and their interactions with soil biodiversity, this study underlines the urgent need to better consider soil biodiversity and soil processes in ecosystem service assessments. This systemic and interdisciplinary approach increases also the societal and political relevance of soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Nature-based solutions (NBS) find increasing attention as actions to address societal challenges through harnessing ecological processes, yet knowledge gaps exist regarding approaches to landscape planning with NBS. This paper aims to provide suggestions of how planning NBS can be conceptualized and applied in practice. We develop a framework for planning NBS by merging insights from literature and a case study in the Lahn river landscape, Germany. Our framework relates to three key criteria that define NBS, and consists of six steps of planning: Co-define setting, Understand challenges, Create visions and scenarios, Assess potential impacts, Develop solution strategies, and Realize and monitor. Its implementation is guided by five principles, namely Place-specificity, Evidence base, Integration, Equity, and Transdisciplinarity. Drawing on the empirical insights from the case study, we suggest suitable methods and a checklist of supportive procedures for applying the framework in practice. Taken together, our framework can facilitate planning NBS and provides further steps towards mainstreaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural soundscape quality (NSQ) has been recognized as an essential cultural ecosystem service that contributes significantly to human health and well-being. It also stands as an indispensable component of environmental quality, especially for landscape aesthetic quality. However, an assessment tool for NSQ in landscape planning and environmental impact assessments is still absent. Therefore, this paper aims to address this gap by proposing an indicator-based model for assessing and quantifying NSQ in the Geographic Information System. The model characterizes NSQ based on Calmness and Vibrancy, and employs several indicators, sub-indicators, and respective metrics as proxies to quantify and map them spatially. The evaluation criteria of the model correspond to the general public's preferences for soundscape features. The case study results in Springe municipality, Germany, show that the relative values of NSQ are high in green spaces, including forests, grasslands, and shrublands, whereas they are low in open farmlands. The multiple natural sounds yield higher NSQ scores than the individual ones. The same soundscape compositions in forests and in urban parks exhibit higher NSQ scores than in other land cover types. In addition, the shares of relative values show similar distribution patterns among Calmness, Vibrancy, and NSQ according to land cover types and soundscape compositions. The evaluation results align with public values and preferences for soundscape features. Unlike subjectivist approaches, our user-independent methodology is easily transferable and reproducible. The results are comparable and communicable among the assessed areas. These endow the indicator-based model with the potential to be applied at various planning and management scales. The findings can help to incorporate soundscape evaluation into landscape planning and management systems, supporting sustainable landscape development, and providing valuable information for policy-, plan- and decision-making. [Display omitted] • Natural soundscape quality (NSQ) is assessed as a cultural ecosystem service. • An indicator-based model with evaluation criteria is developed for mapping and assessing NSQ. • The model is implemented in a municipality at a supralocal scale. • Mapping results are indicative, comparable, and communicable among the evaluated areas. • The methodology helps to integrate soundscape assessments into landscape planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • We used an indicator-based approach to assess river landscape aesthetic quality. • We provide maps and distribution curves for Germany. • Results are compared with other landscape types. • Insights can inform river landscape management and planning. Abstract River ecosystems are widely considered to be of high value for nature conservation. This judgment has been validated for biodiversity and regulating ecosystem services. However, little is known about the role of landscape aesthetic quality (LAQ) of river landscapes compared to other landscapes. The objective of this paper is to assess river landscape aesthetic quality (RLAQ), with an indicator-based approach, and to investigate whether river landscapes deserve special protection because of their attractiveness. We compare RLAQ with the aesthetic quality of other landscapes and explore specific indicators of RLAQ by using GIS and descriptive statistics. The results demonstrate that river courses and adjacent recent floodplains achieve higher LAQ scores than other landscapes of Germany, whereas LAQ of historical riparian zones is rated lower than in other landscapes. This is, mainly, due to the large modification of historical riparian zones. Areas with high RLAQ scores are mostly characterized by rare land cover types and, particularly, high relief diversity. In contrast, low RLAQ scores are found in agglomerations and in intensively cultivated historical riparian zones. RLAQ is an important contribution to multifunctional river landscape development as it supports the public acceptance of renaturation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target 2, Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy requests member states “to map and assess ecosystems and their services” (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services – MAES initiative). The objective of this paper is to present and discuss the preliminary outcomes of the approach taken to define indicators for implementing MAES in Germany. The paper introduces the requirements for using indicators from a perspective of nature conservation policy, in particular the need to discern the demand and supply of ecosystem services, including their potentials, actual and future use, as well as the natural contributions and human inputs to the generation of ecosystem services. An adapted, differentiated, ecosystem services terminology is presented and a first set of indicators is introduced and explained. The paper closes with an estimate of potential benefits of information produced by implementation of a national MAES for various fields of policy (e.g. local and regional landscape planning) and proposes some recommendations for further research and practical exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 requires the Member States of the European Union to map and assess ecosystem services. This paper presents a procedure for developing a national framework of ecosystem service indicators for Germany that is applicable at different scales and is transferable to other countries. The framework was set up to use existing indicators or datasets and to be compatible with international typologies of ecosystem services and their indicators. Starting with an evaluation of the importance of different ecosystem services for Germany and an analysis of existing monitoring systems, we define suitable indicators for mapping ecosystem services nationwide. We demonstrate how both the supply of and demand for ecosystem services can be mapped with different indicators and datasets and how these indicators have to be adapted for use at different scales. Subsequently, we analyze the resulting maps to draw conclusions about the suitability of the different indicators and their complementarity. Furthermore, we show synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services in Germany and discuss the applicability of the ecosystem services concept for decision making and spatial planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents an application of an indirect method, the alternative or replacement cost method to value a regulatory ecosystem service: the retention of river nutrient loads by floodplain wetlands. The paper presents a cost-minimisation model for nutrient abatement measures for the River Elbe. The model is applied to estimate the shadow price of phosphate and nitrogen nutrient retention services by restored floodplains. It is shown that the shadow price of restored floodplain area is a function of the nutrient load reduction target for the river basin. The scope of the floodplain restoration projects is shown to have a lesser impact on the estimated shadow price. In addition, this paper presents an empirical cost function for the costs of floodplain restoration measures in the Elbe Basin. In conjunction with the shadow prices, this allows for a rapid strategic assessment of the costs and benefits of 45 potential restoration sites along the Elbe trajectory. In spite of the large investment costs for dike realignments, the nutrient retention effects alone may in many cases generate sufficient benefits to generate an economic efficiency gain. Floodplain restoration may therefore, under advantageous circumstances, constitute a cost effective nutrient abatement measure. However the key thrust of the argument is that floodplain restoration projects have to be assessed as multifunctional projects, with the positive impacts on water quality being one of several benefit dimensions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although the concept of ecosystem services has drawn a prolific amount of recent research, little work has been done on the links between marine ecosystem services and coastal human well-being at a regional scale. Key questions in this context are that of appropriate categories for assessing human well-being and how to link different determinants of human well-being to specific ecosystem services supplied in adjacent marine areas. This paper presents the results of a case study that links tangible and intangible ecosystem benefits to a range of material and immaterial factors constituting human well-being. Determinants of human well-being were defined and indicators selected to make these linkages traceable. Ecosystem services were assessed for the offshore environment along the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, based on the assumption of strong future development of offshore wind farming and considering the environmental and socio-economic impacts of such developments on the coastal region. This paper illustrates some conceptual problems in linking ecosystem benefits to human well-being. Based on an economic analysis and a questionnaire survey, two examples are presented where an evidence-based link could be demonstrated between an ecosystem service impacted by offshore wind farming and change in human well-being. The results presented should be understood as an analytic framework and precondition for gathering empirical data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper presents a case study in which land use strategies to mitigate Climate Change effects are developed for a model in Saxony, Germany. In this region, the degree of freedom to respond to Climate Change with land-cover changes is very small. Based on a participatory process, an approach was developed to extend land-cover classes (e.g. forest, agriculture) by land management classes. In this paper, the focus is on the forest management classification. In the discussion with regional actors, four recommendations were identified that must be fulfilled to make land management classes regionally applicable and relevant. They should (1) reflect the effectiveness of management practices to mitigate Climate Change impacts, (2) express different management objectives, (3) show the compatibility with future trends (new crops, new public demands) and (4) provide a link to land-cover data. Finally, 22 mixed land-cover and management classes in forestry and around 30 classes in agriculture could be derived. For a test case on afforestation of agricultural sites the paper demonstrates that a more differentiated look at land management practices instead of land-cover classes helps to improve the understanding of (a) regional potentials to adapt to Climate Change and to mitigate its effects and (b) the impact of sectoral management strategies at landscape level on the provision of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Deliberative monetary valuation has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional stated preference studies of ecosystem services. It promises to give respondents a better basis for decision-making by exposing them to a more diverse set of knowledge, arguments and opinions through group discussion. However, under certain conditions, small groups may fail to effectively pool the individual knowledge of their members. This paper examines the impact of the initial distribution of individual preferences in discussion groups on the outcome of deliberative choice experiments. Drawing on a deliberative monetary valuation study of forest ecosystem services in West Saxony, Germany, it is shown that the initial preference distribution in groups influences both the diversity of arguments exchanged during group discussions and respondents' consideration of the costs of environmental policies. Furthermore, results indicate that respondents' post-discussion willingness-to-pay is affected by the initial preference distribution in groups, though these changes were not statistically significant. The choice certainty of respondents was found to remain largely unaffected. Overall, the empirical findings of this study provide preliminary evidence about the need to conduct future deliberative monetary valuation studies with groups with heterogeneous initial preferences as this may provide respondents with a more complete set of decision-relevant information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying ecosystem services (ES) concepts and indicators in landscape planning requires them to be linked with models for decision-making by practitioners. The objective of this paper is to introduce an ES-in-Planning framework, which combines ES assessment and valuation indicators with the widely used Driving Forces, Pressures, State, Impacts and Responses (DPSIR) model. Within this framework, ES indicators become part of landscape planning as a means of assessing the current state of the environment and for determining how it might change in the future. The implementation and added value of the framework is illustrated in a case study of planning issues in the Mardorf community bordering the Steinhuder Meer Lake, Northern Germany. Two scenarios of potential landscape changes and possible response measures are considered in terms of alterations in a set of ES indicators. The ES examined are food production (a provisioning ES), climate mitigation (a regulation ES), landscape esthetics (as the basis for many cultural ES), and biodiversity. The ES indicators employed distinguish between services valued by humans and those which are actually utilized. Valuation of changes in ES has shown to reflect societal objectives (as institutionalized in legal requirements) and expert-based estimates. However, these valuations could be further validated by including economic and social valuation of impacts. The added value of applying ES in the planning process lies in improved opportunities for developing targeted response measures, for communicating trade-offs between planning options, and for facilitating joint implementation by partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Quantitative and qualitative approaches to assessing and valuing ecosystem services have been compared using case studies from Italy and Germany. This paper describes and analyzes two different methods of applying an ecosystem service approach and discusses their relative strengths, shortcomings and peculiarities. This allows the conditions to be identified that best support the application of one or other of these methods. Suggestions are offered on how to integrate both methodologies in order to improve the implementation of an ecosystem service approach in decision-making processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Open cut mining heavily affects landscapes and is largely irreversible. Post-mining landscapes often differ dramatically from pre-mining ones. One of the largest open cut lignite mining areas in Europe is in Eastern Germany, south of Leipzig. This paper uses an ecosystem services approach to assess the impacts of mining activity over a 100-year period, spanning pre- and post-mining states. We recorded historical land use data from maps and outlined three future potential land use scenarios based on current planning documents. Our results indicate that maps showing the potentials to provide ecosystem services support the prioritization of preference areas in regional planning. For example, forested and heterogeneous habitats are predicted to enhance future urban development and mitigation of future climate change – a goal of the Saxon government. In contrast, if future development priorities are on local food production and bio-energy use, more arable and grassland areas should be pursued. The use of freely and publicly available data and the simple methods of the approach presented here can be used to inform and improve regional landscape planning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The analysis of the environmental situation in urban areas is of higher importance than ever because of the altered urban ecosystem itself and its impacts on ecosystem services for the rapidly growing urban population. A major challenge remains in developing methods to assess and value ecosystem services and integrate them in urban decision-making processes. In this paper, the urban environmental indicator “Biotope Area Ratio” (BAR) is studied. We aim to analyse the benefits and limits of the BAR to assess and manage the urban ecosystem services using high resolution remote-sensing. We choose two urban environmental settings in Berlin and Seoul where the BAR has been already successfully applied. Results show that the BAR as is represents a valuable instrument and augments existing indicators but that there are modifications advisable to address recent challenges of ecosystem services in urban areas. For the successful implementation as a planning instrument we identify the legally required regulation in the planning process and the existence of reliable data as major challenges. The investigated high resolution remote-sensing based approach provides some advantages to map surface types of the urban environment for a first screening, monitoring and evaluation of implemented measures of the BAR and can therefore support existing field mappings. Insights from our study may stimulate developments of explicitly assessing and managing urban ecosystem services using aggregated indicators such as the BAR and may highlight the importance of a more adequate representation of the urban environment in decision-making processes in other cities in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

'Landcare' is a specific form of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) that is expanding across the world. Although Landcare is widely understood to have originated in Australia in the late 1980s, a similar concept, Landschaftspflege, developed in Germany much earlier, with Landschaftspflegeverbände, or 'Landcare Groups', having been established around the same time. The existence of other forms of CBNRM around the world diminishes Australian Landcare's claims to uniqueness but provides a richer context for further refinements of CBNRM models. Based on 57 qualitative key informant interviews and a thorough document analysis, this paper compares Landcare in Australia with Germany. A key finding is that there are substantial similarities but also significant differences. As a result of recent changes, it is likely that the differences will diminish over time. Recommendations for the design of initiatives to promote community involvement in environmental management are provided as are considerations for Landcare as it expands internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based recreation presents a key ecosystem service that people derive from landscapes. While numerous studies exist on the valuation of nature-based recreation for specific sites or regions, scientific knowledge gaps remain regarding the economic significance of nature-based recreation at national levels. This study aims to quantify the volume and economic significance of nature-based recreation in Germany, with a focus on leisure activities and weekend recreation. Our objective are to assess (i) motivations, time allocation and travel costs, (ii) frequencies and participation numbers, and (iii) economic significances. The research design includes a representative survey and descriptive statistics. Our results show that 81% of respondents participated in nature-based recreation within year before the survey, while the rest stated no participation. The average frequency was 63 leisure activities, 29 day-trips and seven short overnight trips. 'Experiencing nature' was the most frequently mentioned trip motivation. The extrapolated total participation volume in nature-based recreation amounts to 3.3 billiontrips and 16.6 billion hours. The economic significance is€ 151.3 billion, including travel costs, on-site expenses, and opportunity costs. Our study presents novel insights on the significance of NBR in Germany, and can support planning and policy making to safeguard and enhance landscape quality for recreational purposes. • Paper assesses volume, value and characteristics of nature-based recreation (NBR). • Volume of NBR trips per year in Germany found to be 3.3 bn. • Time spent on NBR trips is 16.6 bn hours or 3.4% of citizens' annual time budget. • Estimated NBR value in Germany is € 151.3 bn, incl. € 44.2 bn of tangible expenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A spatially-explicit model for local pollination potential prediction was developed. • It combines existing methods based on species distribution and landscape suitability models. • Environmental predictors were integrated in a scale-dependant hierarchical framework. • The model was tested in an agriculture-dominated study area in northern Germany. • The model predicts a high mismatch between local pollination service supply and demand. Wild bees play a major role in the cultivation of crops for human use, in the reproduction of many wild plants and are a key component of biodiversity. Mainly due to human activities, wild bees, like other insects, face a rapid decline in Europe. Understanding species distribution can help to design efficient conservation measures. Species distribution can also be used to estimate pollination ecosystem service potential, which can benefit the production of crops relying on pollination and the reproduction of wild plant communities. The presence of pollinators depends on a combination of environmental and biotic factors, each playing a determining role at different spatial scales. We therefore developed a model composed as a hierarchical framework for environmental predictors: climatic data and Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) variables at the European scale and species-specific habitat information at the local scale. The model combines the advantages of two different existing approaches: pollinator species distribution predictions based on their environmental requirements and knowledge on bee species life-history traits and habitats. This paper presents the predicted distribution of twenty-five wild bee species of the Andrena genus in an agricultural region in Northern Germany. We used oilseed rape pollinators as a case study and compared the potential pollination services to the potential demand in the Case Study Area. The developed framework allows to determine the capacity of landscapes to support pollination ecosystem services from wild bees at the local scale, which can support the identification of vulnerable areas and the design of local scale measures for habitat improvement and for conservation. The hierarchical approach leaves potential for further adaptations in order to improve the prediction of wild bee species dynamics and factors influencing their spatial distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]