Trade-offs and synergies between forage production, species conservation and carbon stocks in temperate coastal wet grasslands : an ecosystem services and process-based approach

Three case-studies and three research approaches respectively i.e. (Chapter 5) process-based approach, (Chapter 6) socio-ecological approach and (Chapter 7) functional trait-approach, were used to understand the conflicts and synergies between forage production, species conservation and carbon stocks and their relations to several ecosystem properties, land uses, stakeholder perceptions and plant functional traits. The study was conducted in a temperate coastal grasslands landscape of North West Germany. Biophysical and socio-ecological relationships were revealed by using multivariate analyses such as structural equation models. The ecosystem service framework served as basis to analyze and structure parameters and relationships. The use of these results may offer insights to regional managers, policy makers and landscape planners in order to implement successful management solutions.