Socioeconomic mapping and assessment of terrestrial ecosystems
Countrywide mapping and assessment of the of the condition and services of the main natural and semi-natural terrestrial ecosystems was initiated at the end of 2018 and completed in 2020 in the course of the national MAES project ELME [1]. This first stage is also called ELME1.
In 2021–2023 further methodological refinement and updates of the biophysical assessments, and a comprehensive socioeconomic assessment and mapping (incl. monetary valuation) of the main terrestrial ecosystem services is conducted in the course of the ELME project.
Countrywide socioeconomic assessment of the ecosystem services (also called ELME2) was initiated in July 2021. The project is part of ELME and it is carried out in collaboration with the scientists from University of Tartu and Estonian University of Life Sciences. The consortium also contains officials from various state institutes. The project develops a conceptual basis and methodology for economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by Estonian terrestrial ecosystems (forests, wetlands, grasslands, agricultural ecosystems). Indicators of economic value will be developed for selected ecosystem services, and spatially detailed assessment will be carried out for chosen protected areas and country-wide. The project provided indicators and maps needed to value nature's contributions to people and integrate ecosystems and their services into decision-making in Estonia. The project was finished in 2023.
An introductory work preceding ELME2 and been carried out by the scientists from Tartu University in 2021 investigated the experience of European countries in monetary assessment and mappinf of ecosystem services. The results are here (in Estonian):
The ELME2 technical final report can be found here (in Estonian): ELME2
Last modified: 07.10.2024
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[1] Project ELME – „Establishment of tools for integrating socioeconomic and climate change data into assessing and forecasting biodiversity status, and ensuring data availability”. https://keskkonnaagentuur.ee/elme