TY - JOUR

T1 - Participatory systematic mapping as a tool to identify gaps in ecosystem services research

T2 - insights from a Baltic Sea case study

AU - Kuhn, Tinka K.

AU - Oinonen, Soile

AU - Trentlage, Jennifer

AU - Riikonen, Simo

AU - Vikström, Suvi

AU - Burkhard, Benjamin

N1 - Funding Information: This study was supported through BONUS ROSEMARIE project. The project received funding from BONUS (Art. 185), funded jointly by the EU and the Swedish Research Council Formas and the Estonian Research Council.

PY - 2021/4

Y1 - 2021/4

N2 - Evidence-based decision making and policy development rely on the syntheses of available scientific knowledge and the identification of respective knowledge gaps. This article presents a participatory systematic map, which constitutes a relatively new methodological approach in the field of ecosystem services (ES) research. The map identifies, collates, and describes the evidence base on marine and coastal ES research in the Baltic Sea. Key stakeholders were involved throughout the whole mapping process. 1006 publications, identified through searches in eleven databases, were double-screened and 57 publications were found eligible. The results show that research on provisioning, regulating and cultural ES is uniformly distributed in the evidence base while most studies applied bio-physical assessment approaches. The most frequently researched ES are the regulation of nutrients, the provision of fish, and recreation. Only a few studies were conducted in the context of marine policies. While ES research is growing in the Baltic Sea area, this systematic map highlights the plethora of definitions and lack of standardized approaches as an obstacle for policy implementation. The method of participatory systematic mapping was identified as a useful tool for ES research to identify all available knowledge on a specific topic, determine knowledge gaps and inform both researchers and policy makers.

AB - Evidence-based decision making and policy development rely on the syntheses of available scientific knowledge and the identification of respective knowledge gaps. This article presents a participatory systematic map, which constitutes a relatively new methodological approach in the field of ecosystem services (ES) research. The map identifies, collates, and describes the evidence base on marine and coastal ES research in the Baltic Sea. Key stakeholders were involved throughout the whole mapping process. 1006 publications, identified through searches in eleven databases, were double-screened and 57 publications were found eligible. The results show that research on provisioning, regulating and cultural ES is uniformly distributed in the evidence base while most studies applied bio-physical assessment approaches. The most frequently researched ES are the regulation of nutrients, the provision of fish, and recreation. Only a few studies were conducted in the context of marine policies. While ES research is growing in the Baltic Sea area, this systematic map highlights the plethora of definitions and lack of standardized approaches as an obstacle for policy implementation. The method of participatory systematic mapping was identified as a useful tool for ES research to identify all available knowledge on a specific topic, determine knowledge gaps and inform both researchers and policy makers.

KW - Coastal-marine management

KW - Decision making

KW - Evidence synthesis

KW - HELCOM region

KW - Literature review

KW - Marine Strategy Framework Directive

KW - Coastal-marine management

KW - Decision making

KW - Evidence synthesis

KW - HELCOM region

KW - Literature review

KW - Marine Strategy Framework Directive

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100393043&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101237

DO - 10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101237

M3 - Article

VL - 48

JO - Ecosystem Services

JF - Ecosystem Services

SN - 2212-0416

M1 - 101237

ER -