Ecosystem Services Partnership

The Ecosystem Services Partnership is an international network of professionals and organizations created with the goal of increasing the scientific basis and policy and practice of ecosystem services for sustainable development and conservation. The platform functions to enhance communication, coordination, and cooperation between specialists, concerning the diversification of research, application, and conceptualization of ecosystem services, including eliminating the duplication of similar efforts. This partnership is based on a 2008 initiative by the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics (University of Vermont, USA) and is supported by the university organizations “Environmental Systems Analysis Group (University of Wageningen, Netherlands), Institute of Ecological Economics (Portland State University, USA), Department of Ecosystem Management (University of Kiel, Germany), Centre for Environmental Management (University of Nottingham, UK), and Salento Landscape Ecology Laboratory (University of Salento, Italy).” Over 3000 researchers, specialists, and policy decision-makers collaborate through national or specialized networks or through more than 40 thematic, biome, and sector-specific working groups. The platform organizes international or regional conferences and offers, including online, a series of services, including a case study database and specific sites, guidelines, and tools for valuing natural capital, education, and capacity building, publication in specialized journals.