Appendix B

Appendix B: Qualitative description of the various ecosystem services

Ecosystem service	Description
Agricultural production	Agricultural production is largely related to the amount of agricultural land available in an area. Yields may vary depending on the cultivation (grassland-cropland) and soil suitability.
Wood production	Wood production depends on the tree species (according to the forest map), the soil suitability for this tree species and the harvesting regime (distinction between publicly and privately managed forests). Forest expansion has a positive effect on this service. The influence of forest conversion depends on the type of tree species.
Air quality – capture of fine dust	Air quality depends on the type of vegetation. More leaf surface leads to more capture of particulate matter. The impact of deciduous forests is lower than the impact of coniferous forests, especially in winter. The conversion of coniferous forests can therefore have a negative effect on this service. The creation of additional forests will increase this service.
Reduction of noise pollution	Reduction of noise pollution is considered within the noise contours along busy roads. If there are soft soils and forests between homes that experience noise pollution and the road, there is an effect.
Protection against erosion	The protection against erosion depends on the erosion sensitivity of the soil and the type of vegetation.
Carbon storage biomass	This service varies at about the same rate as wood production. Carbon storage will also vary due to forest conversion. Harvest regimes do not affect this service because it depends on annual growth and not on the quantity harvested.
Carbon storage soil	Depending on changing land use (nature type) and changing water management, the amount of carbon storage will be influenced. In particular, restoration of the natural hydrology (rewetting) in valley areas and depressions and expansion of the nature types 'wet forests' and 'peat' significantly increases the potential of this service.
Infiltration	Depending on the infiltration capacity of the soil, groundwater levels and vegetation, infiltration to deeper groundwater layers will change.
Prevention of coastal and river flooding	The importance for flooding depends on water buffering capacity and the sensitivity of land use to flooding. Benefits are realized by changing from a flood-prone land use type to a less flood-prone type. Additional water buffering capacity can be created in areas that are not very susceptible to flooding.
Nutrient removal (denitrification)	Under certain favorable water management conditions, ecosystems can filter nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) from ground and surface water through bacterial denitrification. Soil moisture content is an important variable for determining potential denitrification. Rewetting increases the potential denitrification. The current denitrification will be higher in areas with a high nitrate concentration in the groundwater, caused by (supra)local nitrate leaching. When converting agriculture to nature, this has a positive effect and the avoided nitrate leaching is also quantified.
Nutrient removal (N/P storage soil)	Depending on changing land use (nature type) and changing water management, the amount of carbon storage and therefore also nitrogen and phosphorus storage in the soil will be influenced. During rewetting, the potential for nitrogen and phosphorus storage in the soil also increases due to a reduced degree of mineralization.
Pollination	Pollination depends on the availability of suitable habitats for pollinators and the presence of crops that require pollination in the vicinity (approximately within 1 km) of these pollinators.
Amenity value for recreationists and tourists	The experience of recreationists and tourists depends on the land use and in particular on the available green space (nature and agriculture) within a study area, the population density (local-municipality, supra-local and regional) and the amount of greenery present in the vicinity of the study area. This also depends on the extent to which green space is effectively accessible and facilitated for recreation. These aspects are only approximate. For quantification we make a distinction between nature & forest and agricultural areas, but not between different nature types (forest, heathland,...). For valuation purposes, we do not distinguish between types of green space (nature & agriculture).
Quality of living environment (house prices)	Homes with a view of and in the vicinity of green and open space (nature and agriculture) offer higher living quality, which leads to a higher value of the homes. The added value for a view of greenery depends on the number of homes within a distance of 100m to the area. There is also an added value at further distances (up to 1 km), but this overlaps with recreation.
Health	Green space in the immediate living environment has a positive effect on mental and physical health. The effects of this service are directly related to the number of residents within a distance of 1 and 3 km from the study area. The functions to quantify this do not distinguish between types of green space (agriculture, forest, nature types).
Cultural services through stated preferences	The stated preferences are another method to appreciate the experience of the environment and especially values such as the existence value of nature and the importance of nature for current and future generations. This method distinguishes between different land use types (agriculture, grasslands and tall herbs, forests, heathland, marshes), the accessibility of the areas, the species diversity of the areas and the characteristics of the households (income, membership of a nature organization, age ...)