The evaluation of freshwater and agricultural land ecosystem services and its utilisation
Abstract
Water and soil belong to basic natural resources that are essential for the existence and development of human civilization. These resources represent part of natural capital which provides or can provide ecosystem services - goods and services. Definition of significant ecosystem services related to agricultural land and inland waters is basic precondition to evaluate these systems. While in the case of freshwater ecosystems (rivers, lakes and also groundwater) we are at the start, in the case of ecosystem services of agricultural land (cropland, permanent grasslands) there are already available spatial results of bio-physical and economic evaluation of soil functions in GIS format.
Suitability for water use for a specific purpose (that in fact represents ecosystem service) in Slovak conditions is assessed according to a particular set of water quality parameters and corresponding limit values. Evaluation of freshwater ecosystem services can serve as support for the selection of cost-effective measures, and for the mapping and assessment of ecosystems services as part of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.
Ecosystem service approach is considered as extension of soil function approach that can be perceived as core of ecosystem services evaluation that integrates soil and biotic aspects. The bio-physical evaluation of soil functions or services serves as basic precondition for it local use with regard to mitigate the anthropogenic pressures and its consequences. At present, the real possible utilisation of soil ecosystem services/functions can be seen at improvement of soil protection especially via modification of soil price at its permanent sealing.
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