Landscape and environmental planning as the basis for administrative decision-making on ecosystem services

Abstract

The concepts of ecosystem services (ES) and indicators of landscape planning must be linked with models for decision-making in ecological management. The author analyzes an increase in an applied orientation of geographical and environmental studies, the possibility to use landscape ecological planning for the development of administrative decision-making on ecosystem services. Based on the analysis of landscape planning models and ecosystem services that exist in Europe, fundamentally different models have been developed to characterize the Ukrainian features. In these models ES indicators become part of landscape ecological planning as a means of assessing the current state of the environment and determining how it might change in the future.

Key segments of the model have been highlighted to ensure the adoption of the correct management decisions on the provision of ecosystem services. It has been well-grounded that the landscape and environmental planning provides basic information about both the ecosystem capital, and the limitations of its use in a particular area. Cyclical model of the administrative decision-making implementation proves its viability in the market conditions.

This model provides further justification for the relevance of ES in decision-making planning, and confirms that ecological objectives do remain of prime importance.

 Study focuses on innovations in integrating ES indicators in planning practice, comprehensively considering the whole range of ES and potential indicators. The case study shows how landscape ecological planning can benefit from differentiating between offered ES, basic needs, and utilized ES.