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The authors are solely responsible for the content of this report. Material included herein does not represent the opinion of the European Community, and the European Community is not responsible for any use that might be made of it.
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Table 2: selection of important ecosystem services for consideration in TIDE estuaries, and the service categories they belong to.
The results show that supporting, cultural and regulating services’ importance is well recognized, and regional working groups recognize the dependence of the estuarine use on supporting services.
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How can public acceptance for management actions be increased?
How can the Ecosystem Services Approach be used to support management decisions?
How do TIDE estuaries deal with management problems?
How does habitat management affect the supply of ecosystem services?
How does the societal demand for ecosystem services vary along the estuary gradient?
What are the key areas of conflicts or synergies in TIDE estuaries?
What is important in establishing a zonation for estuaries?
Which aspects do I have to take into account in order to make a measure a success?
Which measures are suitable to achieve specific ecological targets?
Which measures are suitable to provide ecosystem services and benefits?
Which synergistic effects and conflicts can be expected by planning and implementing a certain measure?
“Working with nature”: What are the opportunities for sediment management in estuaries?
Ecosystem Service Assessment of TIDE Estuaries
Table of content
- 1. Summary
- 2. Introduction
- 2a. Ecosystem Services
- 2b. Ecosystem Services in Estuaries
- 2c. Key questions and general approach
- 3. TIDE ES - Assessment methodology
- 3a. From ES longlist to key ecosystem services
- 3b. Expert survey reliability: theory
- 3c. TIDE Survey methodology & reliability
- 4. Results: demand survey for ecosystem services in four EU estuaries
- 4a. Which are the key ecosystem services?
- 4b. Spatial aspects of ES demand
- 4c. Temporal aspects of ES demand
- 5. Supply of ecosystem services in four EU estuaries
- 5a. ES supply by habitats
- 5b. Determining conservation objectives with ES
- 5c. ES supply maps
- 5d. Functional ES supply
- 5e. Inter- and intra-estuarine ES supply patterns
- 5f. Habitat contributions to ES supply
- 6. Historical image of ES value
- 7. Trade-off risk assessment
- 8. Assessment of estuarine management measures
- 9. Ecosystem Services in TIDE: Conclusions
- 9a. Key question answers
- 9b. Future challenges
- 9c. Conclusion
- 10. Acknowledgements
- 11. References
Authors:
by Sander Jacobs, Wouter Vandenbruwaene, Dirk Vrebos, Olivier Beauchard, Annelies Boerema, Kirsten Wolfstein, Tom Maris, Sonja Saathoff and Patrick Meire
by Sander Jacobs, Wouter Vandenbruwaene, Dirk Vrebos, Olivier Beauchard, Annelies Boerema, Kirsten Wolfstein, Tom Maris, Sonja Saathoff and Patrick Meire
4a. Which are the key ecosystem services?
Within the project consortium, 20 ecosystem services which scored on average higher than ‘less important’, were selected as “focal” (Granek et al 2010) ecosystem services for further research within TIDE (see Table 2). There were only few ‘unknown’ scorings, and these mainly occurred along the Humber for some cultural services.| Important Ecosystem Services in TIDE estuaries | Category |
| Food: Animals | Provisioning |
| Water for industrial use | Provisioning |
| Water for navigation | Provisioning |
| Climate regulation: Carbon sequestration and burial | Regulating |
| Regulation extreme events or disturbance: Flood water storage | Regulating |
| Regulation extreme events or disturbance: Water current reduction | Regulating |
| Regulation extreme events or disturbance: Wave reduction | Regulating |
| Water quantity regulation: drainage of river water | Regulating |
| Water quantity regulation: dissipation of tidal and river energy | Regulating |
| Water quantity regulation: landscape maintenance | Regulating |
| Water quantity regulation: transportation | Regulating |
| Water quality regulation: transport of pollutants and excess nutrients | Regulating |
| Water quality regulation: reduction of excess loads coming from the catchment | Regulating |
| Erosion and sedimentation regulation by water bodies | Regulating |
| Erosion and sedimentation regulation by biological mediation | Regulating |
| "Biodiversity" | Supporting Habitat |
| Aesthetic information | Cultural |
| Opportunities for recreation & tourism | Cultural |
| Inspiration for culture, art and design | Cultural |
| Information for cognitive development | Cultural |
Table 2: selection of important ecosystem services for consideration in TIDE estuaries, and the service categories they belong to.
The results show that supporting, cultural and regulating services’ importance is well recognized, and regional working groups recognize the dependence of the estuarine use on supporting services.
Important to know
Reports / Measures / Tools
| Tool: | Ecosystem service trade-off risk tool (Decision support) |
|---|---|
| Tool: | Mapping tool for estuarine ecosystem service supply (Decision support) |
| Tool: | Survey tool for screening of estuarine ES demand and supply (Methodology) |
| Tool: | Defining Conservation goals based on Ecosystem Services in the Scheldt (Examples of good practice) |
Management issues
How can ecosystem services of estuaries be valued?How can public acceptance for management actions be increased?
How can the Ecosystem Services Approach be used to support management decisions?
How do TIDE estuaries deal with management problems?
How does habitat management affect the supply of ecosystem services?
How does the societal demand for ecosystem services vary along the estuary gradient?
What are the key areas of conflicts or synergies in TIDE estuaries?
What is important in establishing a zonation for estuaries?
Which aspects do I have to take into account in order to make a measure a success?
Which measures are suitable to achieve specific ecological targets?
Which measures are suitable to provide ecosystem services and benefits?
Which synergistic effects and conflicts can be expected by planning and implementing a certain measure?
“Working with nature”: What are the opportunities for sediment management in estuaries?