Integrating landscape services into policy and practice – a case study from Switzerland

Abstract

Like ecosystems, landscapes provide vital services to people. However, often those services are not or only partly incorporated into landscape policy. This applied research project explores how stakeholders in landscape policy work with a Landscape Services (LS) approach. Our LS definition builds upon the Ecosystem Services (ES) definition and includes four LS with high relevance to Switzerland. We explicitly use the term ‘landscape’ instead of ‘ecosystem’ to underline multiple dimensions besides ecological issues. A transdisciplinary process with stakeholders from government agencies, trade associations, research institutes and civil society was initiated to discuss possibilities of policy integration of these LS. Best practice examples were debated and ways to better consider LS within existing policy instruments were discussed. We conclude that the results of our research and the transdisciplinary process have enabled numerous stakeholders to build the groundwork for pursuing initiatives to better recognise and ensure LS in Switzerland.