IGSO PAS > Science > Projekt

Ecosystem services in young glacial landscape - assesment of resources, threats and utilisation

Date: -

Supervisor: Marek Degórski

Contractors: Andrzej Affek, Marek Degórski, Ewa Kołaczkowska, Anna Kowalska, Edyta Regulska, Ewa Roo-Zielińska, Jerzy Solon, Jacek Wolski, Izabela Zawiska

Orderer institution: Narodowe Centrum Nauki
No.: 2012/07/B/ST10/04344

(project własny)

The concept of ecosystem services is defined generally as the set of products (eg. wood, forest fruit, game animals) and functions (eg. purification of water and air, oxygen production, recreational sites) of ecosystems that society at large can take advantage. The simplest and most common division involves four basic categories of ES:

  1. provisioning services, including food and water; 
  2. regulating services, such as: flood and drought regulation, prevention of land degradation, disease control; 
  3. supporting services, including soil formation and biogene circulation; 
  4. cultural services: recreation, spiritual values, religious values and other intangible assets. 

The hypotheses presented by most authors are poorly documented and the underlying scientific rationale is weak as they concentrate, depending on the specific study objectives, on selected groups of ecosystem services. In this context, the main scientific objectives of the project are as follows: 

  1. to identify, quantify, order and rank ecosystem services;
  2. to compile a list of ecosystem services supplied by various ecosystem types and assign to them direct and indirect units of measure;
  3. to compile a complete list of reliable and scientifically validated direct and indirect indices for evaluating the supply of and demand for ecosystem services; 
  4. to document the actual relationship between ecosystem and landscape structure and the supply of services;
  5. to develop a model for assessing relations between services provided by ecosystems or landscapes and their flow to society. 

These objectives have been used to develop the following three research hypotheses: 

  1. measures of ecosystem/landscape structure and function can serve as indirect measures of the supply of ecosystem services;
  2. the supply and quality of an ecosystem service depends not only on the nature of ecosystem, but also on its spatial location;
  3. the supply of and demand for particular ecosystem services depend on the preferences of local communities (user groups) and may be shaped by the manner of spatial management. 

These research hypotheses will be verified on the basis of desk and field studies in three non-randomly selected test communes: Giby, Nowinka and Suwalki, located in the Podlaskie voivodeship in young glacial landscape with large number of moraine lakes. Differences between these three communes pertain predominantly to land use structure and the degree of anthropogenic transformation. Anthropogenic influence on ecosystems/landscapes causes in changes of ecosystem services value. These changes are different for ecosystem categories and for different form of the pressure (tourism and recreation, agriculture, industry). The tasks will be achieved with the following basic research methods: 

  1. a detailed analysis of written information and maps found in Conditions Studies and other area planning documents, including District Development Strategies with regard to categories of ecosystem services;
  2. developing and formulating questions to be included in a questionnaire for selected groups of ecosystem service users (local government, inhabitants, tourists and small business owners and artisans);
  3. formulation a full list of ecosystem services, methods of identification, measurements, based on a detailed literature review;
  4. compiling a map of ecosystems in the test communes based on mapping of potential and actual natural vegetation;
  5. direct measurements of ecosystem components (including species composition of flora and chosen groups of fauna, a measurement of biomass, physical and chemical characteristics of soils, plants and water) allowing for assessment of the quality and quantity of ecosystem services;
  6. development of a model for assessing relations between services provided by ecosystems or landscapes and their flow to society. 

The original contribution to solving the problems of ecosystem services to be made by the proposed project is an integrated analysis of three elements of a functional natural and socio-economic system, namely: society, ecosystems and landscape. So far, such attempts to presented research issues does not exist in literature on the subject. The project will include the maximum number of ecosystem services provided by the three test commune and relations between the supply of these services with properties of the ecosystem and land use forms. The assessment and use of ES will include not only relatively natural habitats but also those showing evidence of anthropogenic transformation. The quality and quantity of services taken into account in the study will stem from the specific properties of the spatial unit (commune), the pattern of use as well as the demands of the recipient in regard to specific expected study outcomes. The literature lacks an all-embracing approach involving both various categories of ecosystem services and landscape types differing in terms of patterns of use. This project is an interdisciplinary enterprise whose outcomes will not only foster the development of studies of ecosystem services but will also add to the body of knowledge in such fields as biology, ecology, integrated geography, environmental protection, ecology, economics of the environment and natural resources, and related disciplines.

Publications

Articles

Abstracts, reviews, notes

  • Affek Andrzej, Kowalska Anna: Potencjał ekosystemów do świadczenia usług z perspektywy bezpośrednich użytkowników. [w]: Krajobraz w percepcji społecznej. Abstrakty referatów i posterów. Red. Jerzy Solon, Edyta Regulska. Warszawa: Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania PAN, 2018 - s. 7.
  • Affek Andrzej, Kowalska Anna, Degórski Marek, Regulska Edyta, Grabińska Bożenna, Kołaczkowska Ewa, Kruczkowska Bogusława, Roo-Zielińska Ewa, Solon Jerzy, Wolski Jacek, Zawiska Izabela: Świadczenia kulturowe w krajobrazie młodoglacjalnym - potencjał w ocenie użytkowników. [w]: EcoServ2016 - IV Ogólnopolskie Sympozjum Naukowe "Świadczenia ekosystemów jako przedmiot badań transdyscyplinarnych". Poznań, 5-6 września 2016 r. Streszczenia. Red. Piotr Lupa. Poznań: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, 2016 - s. 16.
  • Degórski Marek: Ecosystem services as a tool for sustainable development. [w]: EUROGEO 2016 - Geographic Information: for a better world, 29 – 30 September 2016, Malaga, Spain. Malaga: Universidad de Malaga, 2016 - s. 9.
  • Degórski Marek, Grabińska Bożenna, Kowalska Anna, Roo-Zielińska Ewa, Solon Jerzy, Wolski Jacek, Affek Andrzej, Kołaczkowska Ewa, Kruczkowska Bogusława, Regulska Edyta, Zawiska Izabela: From detailed data to regional assessment of ecosystem services. [w]: International Scientific Conference "Ecosystem Services - Landscape Ecology Integrative Role", 22th-24th June 2016, Łochów, Poland. Łochów: Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies. University of Warsaw and Polish Association for Landscape Ecology, 2016 - s. 16.
  • Degórski Marek, Kruczkowska Bogusława, Solon Jerzy, Affek Andrzej, Grabińska Bożenna, Kołaczkowska Ewa, Kowalska Anna, Regulska Edyta, Roo-Zielińska Ewa, Wolski Jacek, Zawiska Izabela: Świadczenia regulacyjne ekosystemów w krajobrazie młodoglacjalnym - ujęcie potencjałowe. [w]: EcoServ2016 - IV Ogólnopolskie Sympozjum Naukowe "Świadczenia ekosystemów jako przedmiot badań transdyscyplinarnych". Poznań, 5-6 września 2016 r. Streszczenia. Red. Piotr Lupa. Poznań: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, 2016 - s. 15.
  • Degórski Marek, Solon Jerzy: Ecosystem services as a factor for trajectory strengthening of region's development and well-being - environmental governance. [w]: Shaping our Harmonious World. 33rd International Geographical Congress, 21-25 August, Beijing, China. Beijing: International Geographical Union, 2016 - s. 854.
  • Degórski Marek, Solon Jerzy, Roo-Zielińska Ewa, Kowalska Anna, Affek Andrzej, Grabińska Bożenna, Kruczkowska Bogusława, Kołaczkowska Ewa, Regulska Edyta, Wolski Jacek, Zawiska Izabela: Świadczenia ekosystemowe w krajobrazie młodoglacjalnym - założenia teoretyczne i metodyka badań. [w]: EcoServ2016 - IV Ogólnopolskie Sympozjum Naukowe "Świadczenia ekosystemów jako przedmiot badań transdyscyplinarnych". Poznań, 5-6 września 2016 r. Streszczenia. Red. Piotr Lupa. Poznań: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, 2016 - s. 9.
  • Kowalska Anna: Indicator of potential harvested crops from agroecosystems in north-east Poland. [w]: International Scientific Conference "Ecosystem Services - Landscape Ecology Integrative Role", 22th-24th June 2016, Łochów, Poland. Łochów: Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies. University of Warsaw and Polish Association for Landscape Ecology, 2016 - s. 60.
  • Roo-Zielińska Ewa, Grabińska Bożenna, Kowalska Anna, Kruczkowska Bogusława, Solon Jerzy, Affek Andrzej, Degórski Marek, Kołaczkowska Ewa, Regulska Edyta, Wolski Jacek, Zawiska Izabela: Świadczenia zaopatrzeniowe ekosystemów w krajobrazie młodoglacjalnym - ujęcie potencjałowe. [w]: EcoServ2016 - IV Ogólnopolskie Sympozjum Naukowe "Świadczenia ekosystemów jako przedmiot badań transdyscyplinarnych". Poznań, 5-6 września 2016 r. Streszczenia. Red. Piotr Lupa. Poznań: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, 2016 - s. 14.
  • Solon Jerzy, Degórski Marek: Land cover versus ecosystems – two different approaches for mapping ecosystem services and landscape changes. Consequences for interpreting land cover changes. [w]: Shaping our Harmonious World. 33rd International Geographical Congress, 21-25 August, Beijing, China. Beijing: International Geographical Union, 2016 - s. 1785.
  • Solon Jerzy, Wolski Jacek, Affek Andrzej, Degórski Marek, Grabińska Bożenna, Kołaczkowska Ewa, Kowalska Anna, Kruczkowska Bogusława, Regulska Edyta, Roo-Zielińska Ewa, Zawiska Izabela: Zróżnicowanie przestrzenne potencjału ekosystemów w jednostkach krajobrazowych. [w]: EcoServ2016 - IV Ogólnopolskie Sympozjum Naukowe "Świadczenia ekosystemów jako przedmiot badań transdyscyplinarnych". Poznań, 5-6 września 2016 r. Streszczenia. Red. Piotr Lupa. Poznań: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, 2016 - s. 13.
  • Affek Andrzej, Kowalska Anna: Usage patterns of provisioning and cultural ecosystem services. [w]: Crossing Scales, Crossing Borders: Global Approaches to Complex Challenges. 9th IALE World Congress, July 5-10, 2015, Portland, Oregon USA. Portland: IALE, 2015 - 1 s.
  • Affek Andrzej, Kowalska Anna: Usage patterns of provisioning and cultural ecosystem services. [w]: Territorial uncertainty and vulnerability as a challenge for urban and regional policy. Warsaw Regional Forum 2015. Warsaw, 14-16 October 2015. Programme and Book of Abstracts. Ed. Piotr Siłka. Warszawa: IGiPZ PAN, Ministerstwo Infrastruktury i Rozwoju, 2015 - s. 80.
  • Kowalska Anna, Affek Andrzej: The ability of forest ecosystems to provide goods and services in view of local community. [w]: Sustaining ecosystem services in forest landscapes. IUFROLE WG Conference in Tartu, Estonia, 2015. Book of abstracts. Compiled by Tiia Lillemaa, Urmas Peterson, Ajith Perera. Tartu: IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group Conference, 2015 - s. 87.
  • Degórski Marek, Solon Jerzy: Świadczenia ekosystemowe jako czynnik wzmacniania trajektorii rozwoju regionu. [w]: Ecoserv Poznań 2014. III Ogólnopolskie Sympozjum Naukowe "Świadczenia ekosystemów jako przedmiot badań transdyscyplinarnych". Streszczenia. Poznań: UAM, 2014 - s. 7-8.
  • Roo-Zielińska Ewa, Grabińska Bożenna: Specyfika środowiska przyrodniczego a zestaw usług ekosystemowych, ich wskaźników i miar (na przykładzie trzech gmin województwa podlaskiego). [w]: Ecoserv Poznań 2014. III Ogólnopolskie Sympozjum Naukowe "Świadczenia ekosystemów jako przedmiot badań transdyscyplinarnych". Streszczenia. Poznań: UAM, 2014 - 1 s.

Books

Go back