How to measure the condition of Europe's ecosystems?

GSTDTAP > 资源环境科学

	How to measure the condition of Europe's ecosystems?
	admin
	2019-05-22
发布年	2019
语种	英语
国家	欧洲
领域	资源环境
正文(英文)	Healthy forests, soils, seas and other ecosystems form Europe’s ‘natural capital’, which is vital for our well-being and the economy. The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) new analysis, published today, looks at how to measure the condition of Europe’s natural capital and provides a first overview of the state and trends of Europe’s ecosystems. The report also highlights the need for better data on the condition of ecosystems in Europe. Image © Bogdan Priceputu, WaterPIX/EEA The EEA report ‘Natural capital accounting in support of policymaking in Europe’ presents the EEA's work on natural capital accounting and discusses the use of such analysis in support of policymaking. The accounting methodology helps to organise ecological data and provides a better basis for spatial analysis. The report also reflects on the intrinsic value of biodiversity, which needs to be respected in addition to the economic benefits from nature. The report states that the distribution and location of ecosystems in Europe is generally stable. However, urban areas and other infrastructure are expanding at the expense of farmland and semi-natural ecosystems. For water quantity and fish biomass, the EEA has developed accounts that analyse the use of renewable water resources and marine fish stocks. Both of these are heavily exploited and need to be closely monitored. Further work is also required to better measure the condition of Europe’s land and sea ecosystems. Overall, there is a clear lack of data to reliably account for the condition of European ecosystems, the EEA report states. Investments in these data are necessary for a sustainable management of Europe’s natural capital. According to the report, this requires more targeted monitoring of biodiversity in combination with satellite observations and other statistical data. Together, these approaches would provide better knowledge for the management of ecosystems in Europe. The need to conserve and enhance natural capital is an explicit policy target in the EU's Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 and the 7th Environment Action Programme. Related content Sort by: Related publications Natural capital accounting in support of policymaking in Europe Maintaining 'natural capital', i.e. ecosystems and the services they provide, is fundamental to human economic activity and well-being. The need to conserve and enhance natural capital is therefore an explicit policy target in the EU's Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 and its Seventh Environment Action Programme. Approaches to measuring the stocks of natural resources that yield benefits as natural capital have gained considerable traction in recent decades. By providing regular, objective data that are consistent with wider statistical data, natural capital accounting can provide the fundamental evidence base required for informing economic and environmental decision making that delivers on these ambitions for natural capital. Permalinks Permalink to this version cfef3f6a30a94726b33862269efbceb1 Permalink to latest version VOJ9C4MFXH Geographic coverage Austria , Belgium , Bulgaria , Croatia , Cyprus , Czechia , Denmark , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Hungary , Iceland , Ireland , Italy , Latvia , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malta , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Portugal , Romania , Slovakia , Slovenia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , Turkey , United Kingdom Temporal coverage 2019
URL	查看原文
来源平台	The European Environment Agency
文献类型	新闻
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/217789
专题	资源环境科学
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	admin. How to measure the condition of Europe's ecosystems?. 2019.