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Mapping ecosystem services: science in action

Mapping ecosystem services: science in action
"Dr Nijnik shared knowledge developed at the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Group under Work Package 1.4 of the Strategic Research Programme supported by the Scottish Government"

Ecosystem services – the flows of resources such as clean air, water, food, materials and mental restoration generated by the interaction of humans and nature – are the subject of significant research efforts by scientists throughout Europe and the world, including colleagues at the James Hutton Institute.

A recent international conference organised to discuss scientific aspects of mapping and assessment of ecosystems saw Hutton researcher Dr Maria Nijnik offer a keynote talk, in which she shared knowledge developed at the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Group of the Institute under Work Package 1.4 (Natural Assets, led by Dr Kirsty Blackstock) of the Strategic Research Programme supported by the Scottish Government.

In her talk, Dr Nijnik highlighted addressed major opportunities and challenges of economic valuation of ecosystem services and explained which methods are most useful and when to apply them.

Dr Nijnik also said: “Deliberative discourse techniques, as well as mixed methods, with proper integration of research tools, are to be applied wider to assist in informing policy and management decisions regarding resource allocation, management and use.”

Besides her keynote talk, Dr Nijnik co-organised a workshop entitled “Ecosystem services assessment and evaluation – panacea or Pandora’s box?”

The international conference “Mapping and assessment of ecosystem services - Science in action” was hosted by the IBER-Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia, Bulgaria (Dr Svetla Bratanova-Doncheva, Head of Ecosystem Research and Head of the National Center for LTER), with the purpose of promoting advances in mapping and assessment of ecosystem condition and services, exchange results from ecosystem services related projects, support methods and data sharing.

The event brought together experts from the European Commission, MAES, ESP, IPBES, ILTER/LTER Europe and representatives from numerous scientific organisations working in the field.

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Printed from /news/mapping-ecosystem-services-science-action on 28/03/24 07:32:02 PM

The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.