Assessment of ecosystem services of the north-western part of the Black sea: state, problems and prospects

Abstract

Formulation of the problem. Ecosystem services are resources and benefits that modern humanity can receive from the nature. It is the material benefit from abiogenic and biogenic components of various natural ecosystems. There were not large-scale studies according of evaluation ecosystem services in the Ukrainian water area of the Black Sea before, it is the actual environmental and socio-economic problem. Review of previous publications. The main approach to evaluating the state of ecosystems in the EU countries based on the choice of load indicators on the ecosystems and their mapping. Multi-level approach implies the next steps: detection and evaluation of services (indicators, borders, quantitative assessment); calculations and a demonstration of value (assessment in physical units and money equivalent); court fixation and solutions (tools - subsidies, taxes, payments for ecosystem services, etc.). Purpose. The man goal of the paper is analysis and estimation of modern state of ecosystem services, methods and perspectives of their using. Methods. The methodological basis of the study is the critical analysis of existing approaches to the assessment of ecosystem services of marine and coastal ecosystems. During the preparing of the paper published data had been used, as well as the materials of personal research on various aspects of the evaluation of ecosystem services of the Northwestern part of the Black Sea. Results. Marine and coastal ecosystems play a critical role in providing key services such as food supply, sequestration of anthropogenic carbon, waste management, biological regulation and the provision of habitat for hydrobionts. However, along with other ecosystems, today they are under serious anthropogenic pressure. Some types of anthropogenic activities have a very negative effect to the condition of natural ecosystems and to receive of their services. The ecosystems of the Northwestern part of the Black Sea are the living place of numerous organisms. These ecosystems consist on supporting services. Important regulatory services provide wetlands protected by the Ramsar Convention. The most intense cycle of nutrient substances occurs in the river’s mouth areas. The marine environment absorbs, disinfects and processes all sorts of waste production and consumption. Conclusions. Take into account of the limited information of the of ecosystem services under the Northwestern part of the Black Sea, the first task is to determine the needs of local populations for these services, collection and generalization of information about their condition, coordination of their assessment methods for the region and the evaluation itself.