AlpES e-learning tool

Learning how to implement ecosystem services in environment management and territorial development

What is AlpES?

AlpES – Alpine Ecosystem Services – mapping, maintenance, management, is a project carried out within the Interreg Alpine Space Programme, by a large partnership representing almost all the Alpine Space countries.

The AlpES project’s overall aim is to introduce ecosystem services (ES) as a contribution to a regional/transnational environmental governance and train and support AlpES stakeholders – public authorities, policy makers, NGOs, researchers and economic actors – in understanding, valuing and managing them.

Why should AlpES stakeholders learn about ecosystem services?

Mountain ecosystems provide a wide range of benefits to society, ranging from the supply of raw materials to climate regulation and to opportunities for tourism and recreation. These benefits, commonly understood as “ecosystem services” represent one of the key drivers for development and are one of the main pillars for the construction of a green economy in the European Alps, The population and different economic sectors such as tourism, forestry, agriculture and energy, within and outside the territory of the Alps, derive Invaluable benefits from the services provided by mountain ecosystems. However, this richness in resources also leads to sectorial conflicts, which in recent years are becoming severe and increasingly complex

The concept of ecosystem services is already established at EU level and can help in resolving conflicts between different interests, particularly in transnational contexts. Learning about ecosystem services, what they are, how they can be analysed and valued, and what role they can play in decision-making, provides a valuable support to processes of territorial development and environmental management, especially where a range of interests need to be reconciled in a common decision for the sustainable development of Alpine regions.

How to use the Learning Tool

The Learning Tool is structured in modules, whose contents are tailored to different levels of knowledge about ecosystem services, but also to respond to different purposes, according to the stakeholder’s needs: acquiring information, learning how to implement ES in territorial development and environmental management, or for decision-making processes.
You can choose your level, basic, intermediate or advanced, just by reading the short profiles below the icons. If you have any doubt, you can try a brief test which will suggest the most appropriate level for you. Then you can start your training, following the different modules. At the end of each of them you can verify your understanding of the module’s concepts and contents.
Alternatively, from this page, you can go to a page with the complete overview of all the modules for the three levels and pick up those which interest you the most.
All the best in your work!

Discover all learning tool modules

Select your level

Here, you can choose the level of learning according to your knowledge of Ecosystem Services or your specific interests and activity

Basic

You have just a little knowledge about ecosystem services. You want to use them for decision making and participation in governance processes, without having technical skills or previous experience.

Basic

Intermediate

You had the occasion to discover what ecosystem services are. You want to become more able to use them in your activity, especially in taking decisions about environmental management and territorial development.

Intermediate

Advanced

You have already used ecosystem services as an instrument to manage environmental and territorial development. You want to learn more about the methodology that is currently used.

Advanced

Any doubt?
Do you want to evaluate your level?

Try this test