Joachim Maes

European Commission | ec · Regional Policy (REGIO)

To address the biodiversity crisis, global and regional policy frameworks like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the European Green Deal demand to monitor biodiversity. Despite these efforts, existing approaches for monitoring biodiversity remain fragmented and lack data integration. Here, we review and synthesize crucial infor...

The European Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) has been producing datasets on imperviousness every 3 years since 2006. However, for 2018, the input for the production of the imperviousness dataset was switched from mixed inputs to the Sentinel constellation. While this led to an improvement in the spatial detail from 20 m to 10 m, this also...

To achieve the goals of the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework, the European Biodiversity Strategy, and the EU Green Deal, biodiversity monitoring is critical. Monitoring efforts in Europe, however, suffer from gaps and biases in taxonomy, spatial coverage, and temporal resolution, resulting in fragmented and disconnected data. To assess user and p...

To mitigate the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions, it is of utmost importance to understand where emissions occur. In the real world, atmospheric pollutants are produced by various human activities from point sources (e.g. power plants and industrial facilities) but also from diffuse sources (e.g. residential activities and...

The Deliverable discusses the critical role of soil in supporting terrestrial ecosystems, agriculture, and global climate regulation. It highlights that a significant portion of European soils are currently unhealthy, which has far-reaching consequences, including risks to human health, the environment, and the economy. Soil degradation affects foo...

Observations are key to understanding the state of nature, the drivers of biodiversity loss and the impacts on ecosystem services and ultimately on people. Many EU policies and initiatives call for unbiased, integrated and regularly updated data on biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, biodiversity monitoring efforts are spatially and tempo...

Knowing where emissions occur is essential for planning effective emission reduction measures and for atmospheric modelling. Emission inventories are typically compiled at national level and provide sector-specific emission estimates. Disaggregating national emissions on high-resolution grids requires spatial proxies that contain information on the...

Purpose Human activities put pressure on our natural ecosystems in various ways, such as globally through the spread of emissions or locally through the degradation of species-rich landscapes. However, life cycle assessment (LCA) studies that integrate ecosystem services (ES) are still in the minority because of intrinsic differences in data, model...

To implement the goals of the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework, the European Biodiversity Strategy and the EU Green Deal, biodiversity monitoring is a pivotal instrument to achieve accountability and progress in conservation. Monitoring efforts in Europe, however, suffer from gaps and biases in taxonomy, spatial coverage, and temporal resolution,...

Covering 35% of Europe’s land area, forest ecosystems play a crucial role in safeguarding biodiversity and mitigating climate change. Yet, forest degradation continues to undermine key ecosystem services that forests deliver to society. Here we provide a spatially explicit assessment of the condition of forest ecosystems in Europe following a Unite...

Animals, plants, and other organisms unintentionally or deliberately brought into a natural environment where they are not normally found, and where they cause harmful effects on that environment, are known also as invasive alien species (IAS). They represent a major threat to native biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and can affect negatively...

Increasing the policy impact and effectiveness of biodiversity monitoring in Europe: current state and gaps.

In order to assess user and policy needs related to biodiversity monitoring and data, the EuropaBON project invited national experts to fill in this survey in August 2021. The survey was tailored to the national level and aimed at identifying current monitoring efforts, data flows from collection to reporting, data uptake by policymaking, challenge...

In order to assess user and policy needs related to biodiversity monitoring and data, the EuropaBON project invited European experts to fill in this survey in August 2021. The survey was tailored to the European level and aimed at identifying current monitoring efforts, data flows from collection to reporting, data uptake by policymaking, challenge...

EuropaBON harnesses the power of modelling Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) to integrate different reporting streams, data sources, and monitoring schemes, and measure biodiversity change across multiple dimensions in space and time. Therefore, EBVs are at the core of the project and form the basis for several of the tasks feeding into the c...

Research on methods and applications on the integration of ecosystem services flow accounts into economic reporting systems has increased in the last decades. Along with Natural Capital Accounting (NCA), Ecosystem Accounting (EA) has been increasingly considered and has been integrated into research, policy and decision-making. Following the System...

The Integrated system for Natural Capital Accounting (INCA) was developed and supported by the European Commission to test and implement the System of integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA). Through the compilation of nine Ecosystem Services (ES) accounts, INCA can make available to any interested ecosyste...

There is a linkage between the condition of ecosystems and the services they provide. In the accounting framework set by the United Nations System of integrated Environmental Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounts (SEEA EA), two different sets of accounts assess and monitor ecosystem condition and ecosystem services, respectively. The former are...

In March 2021, the UN Statistical Commission adopted the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting. The SEEA EA provides detailed guidance measuring the extent and condition of ecosystems, and how to quantify ecosystem services. This paper presents the SEEA EA in terms of the various types of ecosystem accounts, its origins,...

In this report, we present the analysis of the different available biodiversity data streams at the EU and national level, both baseline biodiversity data and monitoring data. We assess how these biodiversity data inform and trigger policy action and identify the related challenges the different European countries and relevant EU agencies face and...

Green spaces are increasingly recognised as key elements in enhancing urban resilience as they provide several ecosystem services. Therefore, their implementation and monitoring in cities are crucial to meet sustainability targets. In this paper, we provide a methodology to compute an indicator that assesses changes in vegetation cover within Urban...

Observations are key to understand the drivers of biodiversity loss, and the impacts on ecosystem services and ultimately on people. Many EU policies and initiatives demand unbiased, integrated and regularly updated biodiversity and ecosystem service data. However, efforts to monitor biodiversity are spatially and temporally fragmented, taxonomical...

Surface temperatures are generally higher in cities than in rural surroundings. This phenomenon, known as Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI), increases the risk of heat-related human illnesses and mortality. Past global studies analysed this phenomenon aggregated at city scale or over seasonal and annual time periods, while human impacts strongly dep...

The purpose of ecosystem services accounting is to quantify the main transactions from ecosystems to society and economy and to report these transactions into accounting tables that are compatible with the structures and practices used in traditional economic accounting. The European Commission launched in 2015 the INCA (Integrated system for Natur...

Biodiversity is an intangible asset essential for ecosystem function and human wellbeing. The European Union is at the forefront of biodiversity management and policy implementation and has set ambitious strategies to better protect biodiversity and lead achievement of global biodiversity goals. However, biodiversity management entails balancing a...

The United States and European Union (EU) face common challenges in managing natural capital and balancing conservation and resource use with consumption of other forms of capital. This paper synthesizes findings from 11 individual application papers from a special issue of Ecosystem Services on natural capital accounting (NCA) and their applicatio...

The UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) aims at regular and standardised stocktaking of the extent of ecosystems, their condition, and the services they provide to society. Recording the condition of ecosystems is one of the most complex pieces in this exercise and needs to be supported by consistent guidel...

Nature-based solutions have emerged as a concept for integrating ecosystem-based approaches whilst addressing multiple sustainable development goals. However, implementing nature-based solutions is inherently complex and requires consideration of a range of environmental and socio-economic conditions that may impact on their effectiveness. This res...

The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is one of the most harmful environmental hazards for urban dwellers. Climate change is expected to increase the intensity of the UHI effect. In this context, the implementation of Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) can partially reduce UHI intensity, promoting a resilient urban environment and contributing to climat...

Bumblebees (Bombus ssp.) are amongst the most important wild pollinators, but many species have suffered from range declines. Land-use change, agricultural intensification, and the associated loss of habitat have been identified as drivers of the observed dynamics, amplifying pressures from a changing climate. However, these drivers are still under...

This report summarises key results of the INCA project. INCA delivered an integrated system of ecosystem accounts for the EU. The report provides an introduction to ecosystem accounting and presents ecosystem extent accounts, initial ecosystem condition accounts and ecosystem services accounts for EU28, before the withdrawal of the UK. The report s...

A key sustainability challenge in human-dominated landscapes is how to reconcile competing demands such as food production, water quality, climate regulation, and ecological amenities. Prior research has documented how efforts to prioritize desirable ecosystem services such as food and fiber have often led to tradeoffs with other services. However,...

The implementation of a Green Infrastructure (GI) involves several actors and governance scales that need adequate knowledge support. The multifunctionality of GI entails the implementation of a cross-scale approach, which combines assessments conducted at different levels and active stakeholder engagement. This paper provides a methodology to impl...

The EU Ecosystem Assessment is an analysis of the pressures and the condition of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems and their services using a single, comparable methodology based on European data relative to the baseline year 2010. The assessment covers the total land area of the EU and the UK as well as the marine regions. The ecosyste...

Large scale mapping of ecosystem services and functions (ES) is an important tool for researchers and policy makers to inform nature management and policies but it relies mainly on ES modelled with biophysical data such as land cover, henceforth biophysical ES. Other ES, henceforth species-based ES, are modelled at small scales based on species pro...

Surface temperatures are generally higher in cities than in rural surroundings. This phenomenon, known as surface urban heat island (SUHI), increases the risk of heat-related human illnesses and mortality. Past global studies analysed this phenomenon aggregated at city scale or over seasonal and annual time periods, while human impacts strongly dep...

Workshop BiodiverCities " Mapping nature-based recreation opportunities in urban ecosystems"

The UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EEA) aims at regular and standardised stocktaking on the extent of ecosystems, their condition and the services they provide to society. Recording the condition of ecosystems is one of the most complex pieces in this exercise, needing to be supported by robus...

Investing in the deployment of Green Infrastructure (GI) can provide many different environmental, societal and economic benefits. High-quality, biodiversity-rich blue-green areas increase land sustainability and help to solve many challenges, such as air pollution, noise, climate change impacts, heat waves, floods and public health concerns. In or...

Ecosystem condition is a fundamental component in the ecosystem accounting framework as part of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EEA). Here, we develop a conceptual framework and present a practical structure for implementing ecosystem condition accounts to contribute to the revision process of...

Despite the broad range of services that healthy wetlands provide to human livelihoods, wetland ecosystems in Europe are in a dire condition. The current policy frameworks, although in principle fit for their purpose, do not always define wetlands properly. The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) does not define all wetlands as water bodies, and thi...

Ecosystem service accounts require quantifying the contribution of ecosystems to the society. However, estimation of the ecosystem service used (actual flow) remains still very challenging for regulating services. We developed an experimental ecosystem service account for flood control delivered by ecosystems including: 1) Biophysical modelling of...

The acronym LISBETH stands for LInking accounts for ecosystem Services and Benefits to the Economy THrough bridging. LISBETH is based on INCA (Integrated system for Natural Capital Accounting) and is meant to facilitate the use of INCA accounts in traditional economic analytical tools. Three practical examples are described and commented on. The fi...

Ecosystem condition accounts are part of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting – Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EEA). An ecosystem condition account contains aggregated statistical information about the overall abiotic and biotic quality of an ecosystem at a policy relevant spatial scale. This article reviews 23 publicly-accessib...

Ecosystems deliver value to people and the economy through ecosystem services. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission has quantified the use of ecosystem services by the main economic sectors and households at EU level. In this paper, we downscaled the extraction of six ecosystem services for three Southern Italy regions in 2012: Camp...

Multifunctionality refers to the capacity of an area to supply multiple ecosystem functions or services. While many conceptual and methodological advances have focused on defining and quantifying multifunctionality, the challenge of dealing with cross-scale dynamics of multifunctionality remains open. This study proposes a new way of measuring mult...

Ecosystem services accounts are a useful tool that provides relevant information on the role of ecosystems in delivering services, and the society benefiting from them. This paper presents the accounting workflow for ecosystem services at the European Union level adopted by the Knowledge Innovation Project on an Integrated system for Natural Capita...

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) represent a major threat to the biodiversity in Europe and worldwide, and can cause significant damages to the ecology, economy and livelihood of recipient countries. Recognising the need for a coordinated set of actions for the prevention, early eradication and management of IAS, the European Parliament and the Council...

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of dedicated energy crops (ENCR) performed with the LUISA (Land Use-based Integrated Sustainability Assessment) modelling platform across Europe between 2020 and 2050. LUISA is configured in compliance with the “EU Energy, Transport and GHG emissions trends until 2050” document in order to ensure that t...

This report assesses and accounts for four ecosystem services (ES): crop provision, timber provision, global climate regulation, and flood control. The methodology applied for the accounts of each ecosystem service depends on the nature of the service and on data availability. So far, six ecosystem service accounts at the EU level have been develop...

Interest in ecosystem services accounting is growing exponentially. There are many un-solved issues that need to be addressed, the notion of capacity is among them. International guidelines suggest that capacity should constitute the link between the ecosystem assets accounts and the ecosystem services accounts. In order to address this issue, the...

Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) refers to the strategically managed network of urban green spaces and natural and semi-natural ecosystems situated within the boundary of an urban ecosystem. These high-quality, biodiversity-rich areas can help make cities more sustainable and contribute to solve many challenges, such as air pollution, noise, climat...

Natural capital accounting aims to measure changes in the stock of natural assets (i.e., soil, air, water and all living things) and to integrate the value of ecosystem services into accounting systems that will contribute to better ecosystems management. This study develops ecosystem services accounts at the European Union level, using nature-base...

New European Union level scenarios have been developed in the FP7 project OpenNESS to fill a thematic gap in existing broad-scale environmental scenarios to assess the uncertainties and risks of different drivers of change for natural capital and ecosystem service provision. The scenarios are aiming at applicability for science and policy-making at...