Mapping ecosystem services trade-offs and synergies at Natura 2000 sites: a case study from Greece

Mapping of ecosystems and their services has become a dominant framework for the study, research, and management of natural resources in recent decades, contributing to decision-making at local, regional, national, and global levels. At the same time, thematic maps of ecosystems and their services, can be used in relevant training and education programmes with the general objectives of understanding the spatial distribution, structure, and composition of the planet's natural resources, communicating the need for ecosystem conservation and sustainable management. Mapping ecosystems and their services, including the distribution of habitat types, is also a priority of the EU Biodiversity strategy. Within the framework of the LIFE IP 4 Natura project, ecosystem type mapping of a Natura 2000 site was carried out to identify and delineate ecosystem type extent in order to assess the ecosystems services provided, as well astrade-offs and synergies among them. For this purpose, high resolution Earth Observation (EO) satellite and geospatial data at the local level were used. Up-to-date remote sensing techniques such as object-based image analysis, were applied to classify the images and generate the ecosystem type maps. Subsequently, models were developed to estimate and map five ecosystem services namely (i) carbon storage, (ii) water yield, (iii) maximum potential water retention, (iv) soil protection from erosion (avoided erosion) and (v) nutrient delivery. The models were developed through the open-source software InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) and the use of geospatial data. The results of this study are provided through the ppGIS/webGIS LIFE-IP 4 NATURA platform contributing to the management and conservation of the Natura 2000 sites in Greece.