National Ecosystem Services Assessment in Hungary: Framework, Process and Conceptual Questions

Ágnes Vári (), Eszter Tanács, Eszter Tormáné Kovács, Ágnes Kalóczkai, Ildikó Arany, Bálint Czúcz, Krisztina Bereczki, Márta Belényesi, Edina Csákvári, Márton Kiss, Veronika Fabók, Lívia Kisné Fodor, Péter Koncz, Róbert Lehoczki, László Pásztor, Róbert Pataki, Rita Rezneki, Marjainé Szerényi Zsuzsanna, Katalin Török, Anikó Zölei, Zita Zsembery and Anikó Kovács-Hostyánszki
Additional contact information
Ágnes Vári: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Eszter Tanács: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Eszter Tormáné Kovács: Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1., H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary
Ágnes Kalóczkai: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Ildikó Arany: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Bálint Czúcz: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Krisztina Bereczki: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Márta Belényesi: Lechner Knowledge Center, Bosnyák tér 5., H-1149 Budapest, Hungary
Edina Csákvári: Centre for Ecological Research, Restoration Ecology Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Márton Kiss: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Veronika Fabók: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Lívia Kisné Fodor: Department of Nature Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture, Apáczai Csere János u. 9., H-1052 Budapest, Hungary
Péter Koncz: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Róbert Lehoczki: Lechner Knowledge Center, Bosnyák tér 5., H-1149 Budapest, Hungary
László Pásztor: Institute for Soil Sciences, Centre for Agricultural Research, H-1022 Budapest, Hungary
Róbert Pataki: Lechner Knowledge Center, Bosnyák tér 5., H-1149 Budapest, Hungary
Rita Rezneki: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Katalin Török: Centre for Ecological Research, Restoration Ecology Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Anikó Zölei: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Zita Zsembery: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Anikó Kovács-Hostyánszki: Centre for Ecological Research, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Alkotmány út 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-22

Abstract: Mapping and assessing ecosystem services (ES) projects at the national level have been implemented recently in the European Union in order to comply with the targets set out in the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2020 and later in the Strategy for 2030. In Hungary this work has just been accomplished in a large-scale six-year project. The Hungarian assessment was structured along the ES cascade with each level described by a set of indicators. We present the selected and quantified indicators for 12 ES. For the assessment of cascade level 4, human well-being, a set of relevant well-being dimensions were selected. The whole process was supported by several forms of involvement, interviews, consultations and workshops and in thematic working groups performing the ES quantifications, followed by building scenarios and synthesizing maps and results. Here we give an overview of the main steps and results of the assessment, discuss related conceptual issues and recommend solutions that may be of international relevance. We refine some definitions of the cascade levels and suggest theoretical extensions to the cascade model. By finding a common basis for ES assessments and especially for national ones, we can ensure better comparability of results and better adoption in decision making.

Keywords: mapping and assessment of ecosystem services; ecosystem services cascade; cascade framework; participation; indicators; scenarios; operationalization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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