The results of a broader notion of value for measuring ecosystem services (ESs) are presented, as recently demanded by R. Costanza, with attention to the biophysical, thermodynamic aspects of value. The unifying basis in any ecosystem is the solar energy inflow and the growing efficiency of its use with higher stages of self-organized succession processes. The authors utilize two methods of nonmarket valuation (Biotope Valuation Method, Energy-Water-Vegetation Method) which show the range of the environmental values of nature, from how costly it is for nations to restore the quality of a landscape (biotopes as specific habitats for specific species) to their real abilities to replace the core supporting and regulating services of ecosystems (climatizing service, water-retention service, oxygen production, habitats for biodiversity). The role of natural forests and wetlands as the most effective solar energy users is shown and compared with agricultural lands and other human-altered ecosystem groups. A comparison of ESs value ratios with the welfare-method results of Costanza’s team shows much higher importance of natural forests as the best climatic and water regulators in sustainable landscape decision-making. The authors show that it is not the replacement-cost method that overestimates, but rather, preferential methods that underestimate the values of ESs.

Soil is a key part of a biotope and microorganisms are dominant components contributing to soil functions. Conversely, established methods for valuation of biotopes according to Natura 2000 rely predominantly on the communities living on the surface. Here, we aimed to assess soil microbial biomass and community structure on five localities with range of biotope values by means of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiling. PLFA figures were affected both by sampling season (spring vs. autumn) and locality. In spring, the living microbial biomass (estimated by PLFA_tot) exhibited poor correlation to biotope values. These were, on the contrary, correlated to trans/cis PLFA, an indicator of microbial stress, (i.e., lower stress in higher-rated biotopes), and fungal/bacterial PLFA (i.e., higher-rated biotopes contained more fungi). The attempt to model biotope values from microbial characteristics explained a maximum of ~50% of the variability; the best predictors were the trans/cis stress indicator, percentage of actinobacterial PLFA, and ratio of PLFA of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria. These results show that soil microbial characteristics present partly new information and indicate the need to amend the procedures of biotope assessment. Soil PLFA profiling could serve as suitable methods for this purpose.

Floodplain forests are considered important forest ecosystems, and providers of ecosystem functions and services. The subject of this research was to assess the level of provision of five selected ecosystem functions (climate regulation and regulation of short water cycle, biomass production, oxygen production, and carbon sequestration) and biodiversity by relevant groups of forest habitats, and their mutual comparison. Assessment of ecosystem functions was performed in biophysical units based on published data, our own research, and expert knowledge. The results showed the high importance of floodplain forests. In the majority of the services that were studied, this habitat reached high values and, in comparison with the other habitats, took one of the leading positions. When comparing the ranking in the provision of individual ecosystem functions per unit area, the best-assessed habitat in all assessed functions was floodplain and wetland forests, followed by ravine forests and beech forests, but the analysis of the rate of ecosystem function provision, related to the total area of interest, showed a different order of values. Understanding the context of the individual ecosystem functions of natural ecosystems and those close to nature, in comparison with anthropogenically altered ecosystems is a suggested route for ecologically and economically balanced landscape decision-making, which may increase the efficiency of nature and landscape protection.

This article shows how to restore Central European natural capital effectively. Water in the landscape is primarily sustained by vegetation and soil, most effectively by natural forests and only secondarily by artificial reservoirs. The authors document these facts using a case study from the Želivka River basin (Švihov reservoir), which collects surface water for the metropolitan region of Prague and Central Bohemia. With the Energy-Water-Vegetation Method, the authors demonstrate that the cultural human-changed landscape of the Želivka river basin is able to utilize only about 60% of its solar energy potential. In 1.5% of the territory of the Czech Republic, society annually loses supporting ecosystem services at a level higher than 25% of the annual GDP of the CR 2015. Water retention in the landscape needs to be re-evaluated and addressed in accordance with the thermodynamic principles of life and ecosystem functioning in the biosphere. It is necessary to begin restoring the most efficient natural capital in the landscapes and to return the broad-leaved deciduous forests by intelligent forestation methods to the cultural landscape to the extent justified; this is especially true of the Želivka River basin, which is Czechia’s biggest surface drinking-water collecting area.