Application of the Ecosystem Service Concept in Social–Ecological Systems—from Theory to Practice
1
Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
2
Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2960; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072960
Received: 3 April 2020 / Accepted: 7 April 2020 / Published: 8 April 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of the Ecosystem Service Concept in Social–Ecological Systems—from Theory to Practice)
Ecological footprint analyses demonstrate that the world’s more than 7.5 billion people consume multiple planets’ worth of resources. To incite and evaluate societal changes for the sustainable use of the environment and its natural resources, the ecosystem service (ES) concept was developed more than 20 years ago. To ensure the sustainable provision of indispensable ES, the concept has been refined and enhanced, enabling its application across various temporal and spatial scales. However, evidence-based strategies and policies are needed to preserve biodiversity and natural capital in our changing world. This Special Issue comprises studies advancing the frameworks, concepts, and applications related to ES assessment, with a particular focus on social–ecological systems. To broadly apply the ES concept in different social–ecological systems, several key issues emerged: (1) ES-related definitions and procedures should be improved and standardized; (2) the complexity of the interactions in a social–ecological system must be recognized, and knowledge about spatial and temporal dynamics and interactions among multiple ESs must be deepened; and (3) communication about ES, considering cultural and stakeholder differences, must be increased.
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Keywords:
sustainability; spatial dynamics; communication; special issue; natural capital
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MDPI and ACS Style
Rüdisser, J.; Leitinger, G.; Schirpke, U. Application of the Ecosystem Service Concept in Social–Ecological Systems—from Theory to Practice. Sustainability 2020, 12, 2960. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072960
AMA Style
Rüdisser J, Leitinger G, Schirpke U. Application of the Ecosystem Service Concept in Social–Ecological Systems—from Theory to Practice. Sustainability. 2020; 12(7):2960. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072960
Chicago/Turabian StyleRüdisser, Johannes, Georg Leitinger, and Uta Schirpke. 2020. "Application of the Ecosystem Service Concept in Social–Ecological Systems—from Theory to Practice" Sustainability 12, no. 7: 2960. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072960
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