"Concepts and methods for ES assessment – connecting actors"

The workshop started with three informative input presentations on publishing scientific articles (by Felix Müller, CAU Kiel), on the state of the art of the ESMERALDA project (by Benjamin Burkhard, CAU Kiel), and on the development of national ecosystem services indicators (by Ralf-Uwe Syrbe, IÖR Dresden). Ten young scientists from institutions in Bonn, Dresden, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Hohenheim, Nürtingen, Kiel, Warnemünde/Klaipeda and Berlin joint the interactive workshop and discussed on current topics of the ecosystem services concept and their own project work (incl. projects on ecosystem service assessments in terrestrial, freshwater and coastal/marine ecosystems).
The workshop aimed at the identification of current methodological challenges in the work with the ecosystem services concept, as perceived by the young scientists. With the help of short project presentations, mind-mapping exercises, and discussion sessions, we worked on a common understanding of rating systems for ecosystem services. During the discussions, we developed an approach, how to manage re-scaling of different data sets for sound and comparable assessments and finally for decision support in planning and policy-making. The results of the workshop will be presented and further discussed at the IALE-D annual conference, which will take place on the island of Rügen, Germany (12-14 October, 2016). Also, a contribution for the IALE-D journal “Landscape Online” and its living special issue on concepts and methods for ecosystem service assessments is in progress.
We would like to give our sincere thanks to IALE Germany, who supported the participation of the young scientists! Many thanks also to our very active participants; we are looking forward to our next meeting and ongoing cooperation. . 

If you are interested in more information please contact: 
  

Marion Kruse (Email)
Susanne Frank (Email)