Report on Report on Ecosystem Services Assessment Tools

The document describes the state of the art on ecosystem services assessment and mapping, mentioning the contributions of EU projects funded under different programs. The document presents the methods and principles of the MAES analytical framework and provide a brief description of the different available tools for ecosystem services assessment and mapping. In addition, the document presents an example of application of the collaborative and open-source platform for interoperable models and data ARIES for ecosystem services assessment and mapping in one of the NewLife4Dryland study area, the Alta Murgia National Park. ARIES application has access to all information (data and models) available on a web-based Integrated Modelling network and provides a dedicated user interface to compile accounts within the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA). The SEEA Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) constitutes an integrated and comprehensive statistical framework for organizing data about habitats and landscapes, measuring the ecosystem services, tracking changes in ecosystem assets, and linking this information to economic and other human activity.