Pilot use of the concept of ecosystem services to support business enterprise at regional level and to optimize their impact on the environment.

The project builds on the “Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Regional Value Chains” project and deepens the analysis of current use and future potential of using the ecosystem services concept, this time focusing on the business sector (especially in the food industry, agriculture, forestry, tourism and beekeeping). Within the project, research of companies in the border area (aiming at the Usti nad Labem region and the Liberec region) is performed with the goal to identify both the selected economic sectors, and particular businesses, where it will be able to apply the concept of ecosystem services and biodiversity within the standard activities of these businesses. A broader goal of this project is (in model companies) to integrate a system of indicators following the quality of biodiversity and the flow of ecosystem services, and to use these indicators both for nature and biodiversity protection, respectively; and to increase the additional value of the output of single companies. The research within the project will also be focused on the analysis of the potential of a cross border cooperation of subjects to increase the additional value of companies´ outputs. On this project, experts from Poland, Saxony and Bohemia will participate.

Analysis of existing experience with the use of the concept of ecosystem services in the academic and political spheres in the Czech Republic.

This project focused on the description of the current state of knowledge on the ecosystem services and biodiversity in the Czech Republic and its use in practical environmental politics. Emphasis was put on the analysis of the currently existing knowledge on the management of ecosystem services in the Czech Republic, both at the academic level (published articles and monographies, realized projects) and at the political level (what political strategic documents concerning the biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Czech Republic exist, what support programs, etc.). A broader goal of the project was to identify the benefits and opportunities, which can be brought by the concept of ecosystem services to the regional chain (creation of added value). Within the project, a trilateral Czech-Polish-Saxon cooperation was established.

Valuation of recreational benefits provided by the Eastern Ore Mountains landscape that lead to the welfare increase of local residents and visitors.

Czech-German project was concerned with the mapping of ecosystem services (i.e. utilities which result from the biological diversity and virgin ecosystems) in the Eastern Ore Mountains. Its aim was to quantify and introduce their value to inhabitants of the region and to discuss local instruments for further development or conservation. Within the project investigation, we managed to especially evaluate the esthetical values resulting from the existence of nature related mountain creeks, maintained clearance cairns and regularly mowed mountain meadows.