There is growing interest in both the concept of ecosystem services and their links to human well-being. One of the key challenges is to improve our understanding of the relationship between ecological and social systems and how the various drivers of change may affect the benefits that these systems provide for people.
Natural England commissioned this study to develop a set of conceptual, evidence-based ‘systems-maps’ for the uplands of England, and to explore how they can be used to describe and better understand the geography of ecosystem services.
The work contributes to Natural England’s Upland Futures initiative, by helping to illustrate the importance of maintaining and restoring the functional integrity of ecosystems in the uplands, and the value that these areas have for society.
The findings have been used by Natural England to help to develop a future vision for the uplands of England. In particular they have been used to inform:
- NECR028 Upland Ecosystems Service: assessing the links between environment, land management and service delivery for 4 key services; and
- NECR029 Economic valuation of uplands ecosystem services.