Institutional challenges in putting ecosystem service knowledge in practice

The promise that ecosystem service assessments will contribute to better decision-making is not yet proven. We analyse how knowledge on ecosystem services is actually used to inform land and water management in 22 case studies covering different social-ecological systems in European and Latin American countries. None of the case studies reported instrumental use of knowledge in a sense that ecosystem service knowledge would have served as an impartial arbiter between policy options. Yet, in most cases, there was some evidence of conceptual learning as a result of close interaction between researchers, practitioners and stakeholders. We observed several factors that constrained knowledge uptake, including competing interests and political agendas, scientific disputes, professional norms and competencies, and lack of vertical and horizontal integration. Ecosystem knowledge played a small role particularly in those planning and policy-making situations where it challenged established interests and the current distribution of benefits from ecosystems. The factors that facilitated knowledge use included application of transparent participatory methods, social capital, policy champions and clear synergies between ecosystem services and human well-being. The results are aligned with previous studies which have emphasized the importance of building local capacity, ownership and trust for the long-term success of ecosystem service research.Fil: Saarikoski, Heli. Finnish Environment Institute; FinlandiaFil: Primmer, Eeva. Finnish Environment Institute; FinlandiaFil: Saarela, Sanna-Riikka. Finnish Environment Institute; FinlandiaFil: Antunes, Paula. Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Faculdade de Ciências E Tecnologia; PortugalFil: Aszalós, Réka. Hungarian Academy Of Sciences. Institute Of Ecology And Botany; HungríaFil: Baró, Francesc. Hospital del Mar; España. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Berry, Pam. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Blanko, Gemma Garcia. Tecnalia; EspañaFil: Gómez Baggethun, Erik. Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Noruega. Norwegian Institute For Nature Research; NoruegaFil: Carvalho, Laurence. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Reino UnidoFil: Dick, Jan. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Reino UnidoFil: Dunford, Robert. University of Oxford; Reino Unido. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Reino UnidoFil: Hanzu, Mihail. Romanian National Institute Of Research And Development In Forestry 'marin Dracea';Fil: Harrison, Paula A.. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Reino UnidoFil: Izakovicova, Zita. Slovak Academy of Science. Institute of Landscape Ecology; EslovaquiaFil: Kertész, Miklós. Hungarian Academy Of Sciences. Institute Of Ecology And Botany; HungríaFil: Kopperoinen, Leena. Finnish Environment Institute; FinlandiaFil: Köhler, Berit. Norwegian Institute For Nature Research; NoruegaFil: Langemeyer, Johannes. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; España. Hospital del Mar; EspañaFil: Lapola, David. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Liquete, Camino. European Commission Joint Research Centre; ItaliaFil: Luque, Sandra. ational Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture; FranciaFil: Mederly, Peter. Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra; EslovaquiaFil: Niemelä, Jari. University of Helsinki; FinlandiaFil: Palomo, Ignacio. Basque Centre For Climate Change; EspañaFil: Martínez Pastur, Guillermo José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Preda, Elena. Universitatea Din Bucuresti; RumaniaFil: Priess, Jörg A.. Helmholtz Zentrum Für Umweltforschung; AlemaniaFil: Santos, Rui. Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Faculdade de Ciências E Tecnologia; PortugalFil: Schleyer, Christian. Alpen-adria-universität Klagenfurt; AustriaFil: Turkelboom, Francis. Research Institute For Nature And Forest; BélgicaFil: Vadineanu, Angheluta. Universitatea Din Bucuresti; RumaniaFil: Verheyden, Wim. Research Institute For Nature And Forest; BélgicaFil: Vikström, Suvi. Finnish Environment Institute; FinlandiaFil: Young, Juliette. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Reino Unid