On 8 November, we organised the final event of the NatGuidES project in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where we presented the manual for the identification, assessment and mapping of ecosystem services (ES).
The manual for the identification, assessment and mapping of ES, which was created within the framework of the NatGuidES project, defines practical steps for the implementation of the concept of ES in protected areas (PA), with the aim of supporting managers in the management of PA by means of a protocol for the identification, assessment and mapping of ES. It defines the main work steps from the identification of ES through selection of indicators and assessment to the mapping of selected ES. The final result of the protocol are assessments of ES and maps (spatial representations) of ES, which are used to quantify and visualise the spatial availability of ES, and the manual also indicates the last step, i.e. management and governance. The consideration of ES is based on a cascade approach, which enables the analysis of the flow of benefits, from the ecosystems that enable the creation of ES to the society that demands and enjoys them. Each step, in which the expected results, theoretical starting points and main challenges are presented, is illuminated with concrete examples from the Logar Valley Landscape Park. The manual will be freely available from December 2023 on the project website. The manual will be in Slovene, with an extensive summary available in English.
The event also included a brief presentation of the Horizon SELINA project and the announcement of the first meeting of the national Community of Practice, which will take place in Ljubljana in January 2024.