ECOPOTENTIAL: Improving Future Ecosystem Benefits through Earth Observations

E c o s y s t em s e r v i c e s i n mo u n t a i n p r o t e c t e d a r e a s Pe r c e p t i o n s o f r e s p o n d e n t s

Ecosystem Services Protected Areas

Caldera de Taburiente - La Palma

Gran Paradiso National Park

Hardangervidda NP

Tatra Mountains Kalkalpen National Park

Lake Prespa Samaria National Park

Natura 2000 - La Palma

Swiss National Park

Sierra Nevada

Peneda-Gerês

Lake Ohrid

Relative Importance high

recreation

education

research

none

aesthetic quality

spiritual significance

life-cycle and habitat protection flood prevention carbon sequestration water treatment

erosion prevention

pollination pest and disease control

fresh water

genetic resources

fisheries

agriculture, meat

energy production

timber

agriculture, grain

wild non meat food products

wild land meat

farmed sea food

Figure 3 : Perceived Importance of Ecosystem Services in Protected Area Mountain Ecosystems

Use of ecosystem service framework in protected area management Only Lake Prespa and the Kalkalpen responded that an ecosystem service framework is used in the management of the area. All others responded no. The reason given by the respondent from Lake Prespa for using the

degrees of importance to the other half. Some individual regulating and provisioning services appear to be very important. With the exception of farmed sea food, energy production, wild nonmeat food products, and timber, all of the provisioning and regulating services were considered of high importance in at least one Protected Area.

12