Details
- Mission objective
- Objective 1a - Protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems and biodiversity
- Lighthouse
- Baltic basin
- Sector
- Marine living resources
- Topic(s)
- Species and habitatEcosystem approach
- Type of action
- Research and Innovation
- Type of knowledge output
- Report (research paper, policy report, white paper, guidelines, case studies, best practices, etc)
- Solution owner
- University of Tartu
- Country
- Estonia
Description
This study examines how invasive non-indigenous species (NIS) affect ecosystem services (ES) in the Baltic Sea. Ecosystem services include essential benefits like food, water, and climate regulation. NIS are a major driver of global change, but their impact on ES has been largely unquantified. This research presents the first quantitative case study, revealing that all well-documented NIS significantly alter ES, leading to an average 55% change in intensity. Most impacts affect regulation services, both abiotic and biotic, with less evidence regarding cultural and provisioning services. The methodology used can be applied beyond this study, helping understand human impacts on ES in various ecosystems. Additionally, the study highlights biases in available evidence and study types.
