ADAPTATION OF THE METHODOLOGY FOR ASSESSMENT OF ECOSYSTEMS AND THEIR SERVICES WITH ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS FOR TERRITORY DEVELOPMENT.

A common practice under modern conditions in urban planning is the tendency of urban areas to grow, which is usually at the expense of agricultural areas. This, both in a global aspect and specifically for Bulgaria, is a particularly relevant problem due to the extremely important ecosystem functions of soil resources and the fact that they are an extremely slowly renewable natural resource. The assessment of ecosystems condition and their services is a suitable approach as an additional study on the effects of changing the main purpose of one or a group of agricultural properties. For this purpose, the established methodologies of MAES and the results of the project "Methodological support for the assessment of ecosystem services and biophysical assessment" were analyzed. As a result of the study, sets of indicators (of the state/pressure and vulnerability of the affected ecosystems) have been proposed. Their assessment provides an opportunity to compare alternative structural solutions in different situations concerning spatial planning. Often in planning practice, with available investment intentions, there is a need to change the main purpose of agricultural properties and, accordingly, a change in the current Spatial Development Plan. Applying this type of assessment contributes to achieving greater objectivity in decision-making, as well as a higher environmental and social impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]