Ecosystem Services

Contents
Ecosystem Services .................................................................................................................. 5
In the Coastal Zone of the Nordic Countries ........................................................................ 5
Preface ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Terms and abbreviations .......................................................................................................... 9
Summary ................................................................................................................................ 11
Kelp forests ....................................................................................................................... 11
Eelgrass meadows ............................................................................................................. 12
Blue mussel beds ............................................................................................................... 13
Shallow bays and inlets ...................................................................................................... 15
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 17
1.1 Background ............................................................................................................ 17
1.2 Aim and scope of the report ................................................................................... 20
1.3 Types of ecosystem services ................................................................................... 21
1.4 Ecosystem valuation and ecosystem accounting .................................................... 25
2. The oceans and seas of the Nordic countries ..................................................................... 29
2.1 The North Sea and Skagerrak.................................................................................. 31
2.2 The Norway Sea and Barents Sea ............................................................................ 32
2.3 The Baltic Sea ......................................................................................................... 33
3. Ecosystem services of kelp forests ..................................................................................... 35
3.1 Distribution and physical requirements ................................................................... 35
3.2 Threats and challenges .......................................................................................... 36
3.3 Supporting services ................................................................................................. 41
3.4 Provisioning services ............................................................................................... 43
3.5 Regulating services ................................................................................................ 45
3.6 Cultural services ..................................................................................................... 50
4. Ecosystem services of eelgrass meadows ........................................................................... 51
4.1 Distribution and physical requirements ................................................................... 51
4.2 Threats and challenges .......................................................................................... 54
4.3 Supporting services ................................................................................................. 55
4.4 Provisioning services .............................................................................................. 59
4.5 Regulating services .................................................................................................61
4.6 Cultural services ..................................................................................................... 63