Integrated mapping of ecosystems and assessment of forest ecosystem services at river basin scale

By

Nedkov, Stoyan
Ananiev, Ivaylo
Prodanova, Hristina
Stoycheva, Vanya

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023-12-28

Original Publication

Silva Balcanica

Volume

24

Series / Issue

Issue: 3

Pages

43--60

Subjects

CLC , ESA WorldCover , GIS database , MAES typology , physical blocks

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Forest Research Institute - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (FRI-BAS) [2001]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/silvabalcanica.24.e115856

 

Abstract

Ecosystems provide various goods and services to society and their valuation is among the main objectives of the concept of ecosystem services (ES). The mapping of ecosystems is the main building block of the whole process of the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES). The analyses of the ecosystem data produced during the implementation of the national methodology for mapping ecosystems in Bulgaria (MAES BG) reveal some problems that may cause confusion in cases of integrated assessment of all ecosystem types. In this paper, we present an approach that enables formulation of a uniform spatial dataset based on the mapping of the main ecosystem types, that can be used for mapping of ES at a river basin scale. It has been applied to the upper part of the Ogosta River basin and the result is a topologically correct uniform spatial data layer. The approach gives one possible solution to problems related to the different sources of information and the discrepancies between ecosystem types in the national mapping of ecosystems in Bulgaria. It is based on the use of a uniform spatial framework that outlines the ecosystem types and sets the initial database for further mapping. This ensures a topologically correct spatial dataset for the ecosystems and a background for further updates for each ecosystem at the different levels of MAES typology. The most appropriate spatial basis for the territory of Bulgaria is the database for the physical blocks of the Ministry of Interior. Its application to the studied river basin gives encouraging results and can be used as an example for similar areas. Further development of the approach will ensure the mapping of the forest ecosystems at level 3 of the MAES BG typology and more precise delineation of the grassland, heathland, freshwater, and sparsely vegetated ecosystems.