B.2) Why are Ecosystem Services important for our society?

Ecosystem services approach allows a more integrated vision, introducing the idea that, actually, we make our interest in preserving the capacity of nature to continue to provide the services, goods and benefits we need for our life. That way we can connect any loss of biodiversity or the disruption of an ecological process, to a decrease of the wealth we receive from nature.

B.1 ) What are Ecosystem Services?

Ecosystem services are a concept developed to support our understanding of human uses and management of natural resources. A large part of human life, included health and wellbeing, depends on services provided by the ecosystems and their components: water, soil, organisms but also landscapes and sceneries and other intangible elements present in nature which contribute to intellectual and spiritual needs.

A.2) Implementation of Ecosystem Services in governance and decision-making processes

Over the last decade, scientific literature has largely debated about the role of ecosystem services in decision-making processes concerning environment management and territorial development. There is a unanimous agreement in recognizing that ecosystem services approach can help individuals and institutions to recognize the value of nature and, consequently, to have more information to better invest in conservation, fostering at the same time human well-being.