This press release was published by EurekAlert! and AlphaGalileo.   

Around 90 scientists, decision-makers, and ecosystem service experts convened in Trondheim to discuss advancing methodological solutions for integrated ecosystem assessments.

The fourth SELINA Thematic Workshop took place from 17-20 June 2024, hosted by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) in Trondheim, Norway. The event welcomed around 90 on-site and online participants, including scientists, decision-makers from various organizations, and other ecosystem service experts from across Europe. The Workshop focused on advancing methodological solutions for integrated ecosystem assessments and connecting the three SELINA thematic Strands, building on the progress made since the second Thematic Workshop Solutions (I) in Madrid in October 2023.

The Workshop commenced with a welcome reception at NINA, followed by three days of intensive and interactive sessions, including a city walk and field trips. The agenda featured presentations on the progress of tasks within the 11 SELINA Work Packages, combined with breakout group sessions to engage participants in various topics, exploring the city of Trondheim, a peri-urban forest, and a demonstration of peatland restoration.

Breakout sessions explored methods and knowledge needs identified by the 15 SELINA Demonstration Projects, fostering peer-to-peer learning between cases and method experts. Participants engaged in dynamic discussions on ecosystem services co-production, biodiversity and ecosystem changes, and integrating biophysical, social-cultural, and economic value domains for decision support.

Keynote presentations on "Ecosystem Accounting in Support of Sustainability-Related Targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework" included:

• “Using the SEEA for Monitoring and Informing the Global Biodiversity Framework” by Carl Obst (IDEEA Group)

• “How Ecosystem Accounting Can Support EU Policy” by Ioanna Grammatikopoulou & Sara Vallecillo (JRC, European Commission)

• “Ecosystem Accounting for Policy and Planning in Norway” by Finn Katerås (Norwegian Environment Agency) & Trine Randen (Statistics Norway)

The members of the SELINA Early Career Researchers Network also convened during the Workshop in Trondheim. They discussed project developments, their contributions to the project, and opportunities for future interaction and engagement.

Key highlights from the Workshop included:

• Communities of Practice (CoPs): So far, 145 potential “Seeds of Change” projects and initiatives have been submitted by SELINA CoPs members across Europe.

• SELINA’s Framework for Integrated Ecosystem Assessment: Ongoing development, testing, and revision involve the entire SELINA Consortium and Demonstration Projects. The framework has been piloted in two frontrunner SELINA test site examples.

• SELINA Operational Database: The database, called "EASE" (Ecosystem AsseSsment Explorer), will integrate findings from methods, models, and data diagnostics.

• SELINA Compendium of Guidance (CoG): A user needs assessment is ongoing.

• Website Updates: The SELINA website continues to evolve, with several recent updates and more planned. Users can already explore the website in their native language.

“The fourth thematic SELINA Workshop gave us the unique opportunity to meet in the picturesque setting of Trondheim with all project partners, to exchange about the newest methodological developments in SELINA and to build capacity across the different aspects of integrated ecosystem assessments,” says Project Coordinator Benjamin Burkhard from the Leibniz University Hannover.

David Barton, a member of the SELINA fourth workshop hosting organisation NINA, stated, “Hosting the SELINA Workshop in Trondheim with distinguished researchers from all over Europe was of great help to NINA in promoting ecosystem assessment and accounting method development in Norway and engaging with the community of practice here.”

This Workshop marked the fourth of the eight Thematic Workshops planned in SELINA and built upon the momentum from the previous three Workshops held in Sofia, Madrid and Leiden. The hosts from NINA passed the baton to the Fundação Gaspar Frutuoso (FGF), who will host the upcoming SELINA Workshop in the Azores in May 2025.

Read the press release in EurekAlert! and AlphaGalileo.