The DPSIR (driver-pressure-state-impact-response) framework is a prominent approach for operationalizing the ecosystem approach to support marine management. However, DPSIR applications in aquatic environments with broad coverage of the framework elements and quantified causal relationships are largely missing. To aid Baltic Sea coastal countries and the regional sea convention (HELCOM) assess the effectiveness and sufficiency of measures in achieving agreed environmental objectives, this analysis operationalized elements of the DPSIR framework into an integrated regional-scale model. The analysis covers a wide range of responses, drivers, activities, pressures, and state components, and incorporates expert-, literature-, and model-based data. The results suggest that current efforts are not sufficient to reach the environmental objectives in the Baltic Sea. The present application represents a significant step forward in modelling marine management at large-scales, providing a coherent framework to enable enhanced support of policy decisions for the marine environment and other environmental settings. It also serves to highlight the substantial data integration and availability challenges presented by such an effort. While high uncertainty limits the direct application of some results, several intermediate results (activity-pressure contributions, effectiveness of measures, implemented measures) and the process itself (fostering interdisciplinary communication and establishing interdisciplinary methodologies and protocols for data gathering, integration, and validation) were also institutionally beneficial.

Ecosystem accounting provides a standardised framework for evaluating the economic value of ecosystems to society. Following the international accounting standard, System of Environmental Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA), we present first marine ecosystem extent pilot accounts for Finland, based on three habitat classification systems: the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the EU Habitats Directive (HD) and the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems (RLE). We assess their condition using indicators from the Water Framework Directive, which measure ecosystem quality through biological, ecological and physico-chemical parameters.We found that MSFD habitats have the largest extent, exceeding the areas covered by HD and RLE habitats. A large portion of the assessed habitats, particularly in the inner archipelago and shallow areas close to shore, were in poor condition, reflecting the eutrophication status of coastal waters. We identify considerable challenges in reporting marine ecosystem extent and condition accounts, which most likely recur across (European) countries. For instance, MSFD habitats are rather coarse for accurately reporting ecosystem extents, potentially overlooking declines in ecosystem condition, while HD habitats cover only a subset of habitats. RLE habitats provide more ecological detail, although they may be less compatible with classifications used in other countries.Our research provides a baseline for future ecosystem accounts and emphasises the need for improved data and methods to enhance the accuracy and comparability of marine ecosystem assessments. Additionally, we discuss the compatibility of SEEA EA with EU policy reporting requirements, the spatial scale of reporting ecosystem extents and condition and highlight the limitations of current habitat classifications in representing the full diversity of marine ecosystems. The findings underscore the importance of integrating multiple habitat classification systems, development of crosswalks between habitat classifications and monitoring frameworks to ensure comprehensive and accurate ecosystem accounts.

Abstract Coastal areas are at the centre of human–nature relationship, shaped by recreation, tourism and aesthetic values. However, socioeconomic drivers of biodiversity change in coastal areas have received less attention. Soft sediment seafloors support diverse species communities and contribute to ecosystem functionality. One of the main threats is dredging, which sweeps resident organisms. Dredgings are commonly done to deepen waterways, but also for the purposes of private housing. The ecological impacts of these small‐sized dredgings are not well known over broad environmental and geographical gradients. We developed a simple approach for spatial integration of ecological and socioeconomic system, to describe how recreational land use change contributes to the loss of marine biodiversity. It shows how human behaviour, such as preference for a location of second home, can be derived from spatial data and coupled with ecological change. We characterize typical locations of second homes based on accessibility, aesthetics and environment, and with the information identified suitable areas for new second homes. We also quantified typical areas of dredging, based on the depth and substrate of the sea floor, and the extent of the reed beds, influencing the access to properties. We then simulate an annual increase of new second homes and expected land‐use change, namely dredging of shores. Finally, we quantified the realized and projected loss of marine biodiversity from dredged sites, based on species distribution models, relying on extensive ecological data collected from over 170,000 underwater sites. We found that small‐sized dredging can be detrimental to coastal biodiversity, as dredging targets shallow, photic bays and lagoons, with diverse algal and aquatic plant communities, with limited recovery potential. Dredgings also had broad impacts on benthic faunal habitats, which maintain ecosystem processes and functions. Our results reveal a significant ecological change driven by recreational land use. Reversing the trend of biodiversity loss requires a holistic understanding of socioecological systems. Our results highlight the need for integrating land–sea interactions into conservation policies and reforming current land‐use regulation for the benefit of marine biodiversity. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Systematic literature syntheses are a key element in the scientific realm, considering the steadily growing amount of available knowledge. Involving stakeholders in the research process brings a wide range of advantages, like broadening the perspectives on the problem in question, increasing the relevance of results for policy- and decision-making, the public and other end-users and thus enhancing the impact and acceptance of research. While participatory approaches are on the rise, reflections on stakeholder involvement in systematic syntheses on environmental management are scarce. We reflect on the process of involving stakeholders with expertise also from outside academia during three literature syntheses with different foci of marine and coastal ecosystem services in the Baltic Sea. Our analysis is based on notes, e-mails, minutes and recordings of internal project meetings, interviews and workshops involving both researchers and stakeholders. We discuss the challenges the participatory approach introduced and develop lessons learned to support the planning of stakeholder engagement for future literature syntheses. We conclude that stakeholder identification, communication, collaboration and knowledge translation are highly time- and resource-intensive processes. Furthermore, appropriate training and experience are necessary for the design, execution and evaluation of participatory methods tailored to each project stage. Therefore, we underline the importance of adequate consideration of the required resources during project planning and implementation. To encourage and support valuable stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange between the research community and actors of policy and practice, more appreciation of such efforts by funding institutions and within the wider scientific community is needed.

The objective of this paper is to estimate transformation and Armington substitution elasticities for South African trade. We use linear methods to estimate elasticities without growth factors. We then employ a non-linear system of equations to estimate Armington import elasticities and related growth factors. Using the linear estimation method, we find positive (0.386-1.379) short-run Armington substitution elasticities for most studied industries. Moreover, positive transformation elasticities for exports contradict our assumption that increased relative export prices result in increased exports. The results of the non-linear estimation suggest that growth affects imports more than domestic consumption of domestic production in the manufacturing industry.

Bioenergy cropping, like all agricultural practices, may lead to the release of greenhouse gases. This study was aimed at determining biomass and energy yields of reed canary grass (RCG) (Phalaris arundinacea), galega (Galega orientalis) and a mixture of these, and to relate these to fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, emitted from the soils. Plots including a bare fallow as control were established in 2008. Gases emitted from the soil surface were collected in closed chambers from May 2011 to May 2013, except during periods of snow cover, and analysed by gas chromatography. Seasonal and annual cumulative emissions of N2O and CO2 equivalents per unit energy yield were calculated. Soil moisture content, nitrate (NO3 −)-N and ammonium (NH4 +)-N were also determined. Both species composition and crop yields affected energy yields and N2O emission from the soil. The annual cumulative emissions from mixture were marginally lower than those from fertilized RCG soils. Fertilized RCG produced twice as much biomass and correspondingly higher nitrogen and energy yields, so its low emission of N2O per Mg of dry matter was not significantly different from that of the mixtures. Cropping an RCG–galega mixture for biofuel may replace N fertilizer input since it resulted in lowering N2O fluxes, but requires management to maintain grass as the major component in order to minimize N2O emissions. In a time of climate change, low-input bioenergy crops may be a suitable strategy for land left uncropped after ploughing for one season or longer.

This paper examines the socially optimal drainage choice (surface/subsurface) for agricultural crop cultivation in a landscape with different land qualities (fertilities) when private profits and nutrient runoff damages are taken into account. We also study the measurable social costs to increase biodiversity by surface drainage when the locations of the surface-drained areas in a landscape affect the provided biodiversity. We develop a general theoretical model and apply it to empirical data from Finnish agriculture. We find that for low land qualities the measurable social returns are higher to surface drainage than to subsurface drainage, and that the profitability of subsurface drainage increases along with land quality. The measurable social costs to increase biodiversity by surface drainage under low land qualities are negative. For higher land qualities, these costs depend on the land quality and on the biodiversity impacts. Biodiversity conservation plans for agricultural landscapes should focus on supporting surface drainage systems in areas where the measurable social costs to increase biodiversity are negative or lowest.

We examine the social desirability of renewable diesel production from imported palm oil in the EU when greenhouse gas emissions are taken into account. Using a partial market equilibrium model, we also study the sectoral social welfare effects of a biofuel policy consisting of a blend mandate in a small EU country (Finland), when palm oil based diesel is used to meet the mandated quota for biofuels. We develop a market equilibrium model for three cases: i) no biofuel policy, ii) biofuel policy consisting of socially optimal emission-based biofuel tax credit and iii) actual EU biofuel policy. Our results for the EU biofuel market, Southeast Asia and Finland show very little evidence that a large scale use of imported palm oil in diesel production in the EU can be justified by lower greenhouse gas emission costs. Cuts in emission costs may justify extensive production only if low or negative land-use change emissions result from oil palm cultivation and if the estimated per unit social costs of emissions are high. In contrast, the actual biofuel policies in the EU encourage the production of palm oil based diesel. Our results indicate that the sectoral social welfare effects of the actual biofuel policy in Finland may be negative and that if emissions decrease under actual biofuel policy, the emission abatement costs can be high regardless of the land use change emissions.