TY - JOUR

T1 - Linking ecosystem condition and ecosystem services: A methodological approach applied to European agroecosystems

AU - Rendon, Paula

AU - Steinhoff-Knopp, Bastian

AU - Burkhard, Benjamin Felix

N1 - Funding Information: We wish to thank the staff of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, especially Joachim Maes, Maria Luisa Paracchini, Carlo Rega and Sara Vallecillo, who provided datasets, and conceptual and technical support. We also thank Angie Faust for checking the language of the manuscript and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback on an earlier version of this paper.

PY - 2022/2

Y1 - 2022/2

N2 - Agriculture has been identified as one of the main drivers of environmental degradation in the European Union (EU). It can have negative impacts on air, water, soil and biodiversity. The condition of agroecosystems is affected by soil degradation, especially by soil erosion, which reduces agroecosystems’ capacity to provide essential ecosystem services. Therefore, it is necessary to explore synergies and trade-offs between pressures, ecosystem condition and services to create relevant information for policy and decision-makers to implement sustainable response actions.As part of the EU environmental policy, the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) Working Group developed appropriate concepts to assess and link ecosystem condition and services. This study aims to test the indicators proposed by MAES to assess ecosystem condition and link it with the ecosystem services provision. For this, we applied a suggested operational framework developed in the context of the Biodiversity Strategies 2020 and 2030 for the integrated assessment of agroecosystems and regulating ecosystem service control of erosion rates supply at European scale. We quantified and mapped indicators for ecosystem condition, environmental and anthropogenic pressures and soil erosion control. We explored the relationshipsbetween the respective indicators and the capacity of agroecosystems to control soil erosion across the different Environmental Zones (EZ).Our results indicate that, in general, European agroecosystems have a high capacity to control soil erosion with some variations within the EZ. Supply capacity is positively, negatively and not correlated with the various pressure and condition indicators. Management and climate indicators play a significant role in the ssessment of this service. These results highlight that conservational anagement practices are fundamental to reduce soil loss and improve agroecosystem condition. However, the design and implementation of such management practices must consider regional and local landscape characteristics, agricultural practices and the needs and opportunities of stakeholders.

AB - Agriculture has been identified as one of the main drivers of environmental degradation in the European Union (EU). It can have negative impacts on air, water, soil and biodiversity. The condition of agroecosystems is affected by soil degradation, especially by soil erosion, which reduces agroecosystems’ capacity to provide essential ecosystem services. Therefore, it is necessary to explore synergies and trade-offs between pressures, ecosystem condition and services to create relevant information for policy and decision-makers to implement sustainable response actions.As part of the EU environmental policy, the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) Working Group developed appropriate concepts to assess and link ecosystem condition and services. This study aims to test the indicators proposed by MAES to assess ecosystem condition and link it with the ecosystem services provision. For this, we applied a suggested operational framework developed in the context of the Biodiversity Strategies 2020 and 2030 for the integrated assessment of agroecosystems and regulating ecosystem service control of erosion rates supply at European scale. We quantified and mapped indicators for ecosystem condition, environmental and anthropogenic pressures and soil erosion control. We explored the relationshipsbetween the respective indicators and the capacity of agroecosystems to control soil erosion across the different Environmental Zones (EZ).Our results indicate that, in general, European agroecosystems have a high capacity to control soil erosion with some variations within the EZ. Supply capacity is positively, negatively and not correlated with the various pressure and condition indicators. Management and climate indicators play a significant role in the ssessment of this service. These results highlight that conservational anagement practices are fundamental to reduce soil loss and improve agroecosystem condition. However, the design and implementation of such management practices must consider regional and local landscape characteristics, agricultural practices and the needs and opportunities of stakeholders.

KW - Ecosystem status

KW - erosion control

KW - pressures

KW - condition indicators

KW - agricultural soils

KW - European Biodiversity Strategy

KW - MAES

KW - Agricultural soils

KW - Pressures

KW - Condition indicators

KW - Erosion control

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85119930540&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101387

DO - 10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101387

M3 - Article

VL - 53

JO - Ecosystem Services

JF - Ecosystem Services

SN - 2212-0416

M1 - 101387

ER -