Natural heritage (NH) includes natural features that can be described as outstanding universal value at a national level. It refers to the importance of ecosystems, biodiversity, and geodiversity for their existence value, and the ecosystems can be considered as the spatial units for its mapping and assessment. The ecosystem services (ES) concept provides an appropriate basis in the form of assessment and mapping methods that enable linking the state of ecosystems with human well-being. Thus, it can be used as a platform to find solutions to the problems related to the conflicts between conservation and the use of the NH. In this paper, we aim to present the process of developing a methodological framework for mapping and assessment of ecosystem services provided by the natural heritage in Bulgaria for recreation and tourism. The conceptual framework of the ecosystem-based assessment of NH in Bulgaria is based on the assumption that the generation of NH for the needs of tourism can be presented as the linkages between the natural systems and tourism in the form of ES potential, flow, and demand. The results demonstrate that the NH can be presented as a spatial phenomenon conceptualized by the flows of benefits from ecosystems to people which contribute to human well-being. The mapping and assessment procedures are fully developed for application at a national level, while for the regional and local level, few pilot studies mark some basic foundations for further development.

Ecosystems representing the Natural Heritage (NH) are considered in this study as an important source of ecosystem goods and services for human well-being. On that spatial base, we conducted an expert-based assessment and mapping of their potential to provide ecosystem services (ES) for recreational purposes in Bulgaria. Twelve experts participated in the expert-based assessment by filling individual matrices for the potential of the NH to provide ES. We analysed the results i.e. individual scores by comparing them, and calculating the minimum, the maximum and the range scores between them. We calculated the mean individual experts’ scores by ecosystem types and subtypes for nine prioritized ecosystem services for recreation – 2 provisioning, 2 regulating and 5 cultural. The results show that individual experts have different perceptions for some ecosystems and their services due to their different scientific expertise. This follows from the quite high ranges i.e., 4 or 5 units between maximum and minimum score per spatial unit. There are: (i) significant variations in scoring of Grasslands, Wetlands, Croplands, Rivers and lakes, and Urban ecosystems; and (ii) considerable similarities about Woodland and forest, Sparsely vegetated lands and Marine ecosystems. To compare the spatial discrepancies between the experts’ scores, we map them individually. A final integrated map represents the potential of the NH in Bulgaria to provide ecosystem services for recreation with an average score above 3.00. The main outcomes of our study are the analyses we made on the individual and the group experts’ scores.

The importance of the landscapes for the development of recreation and ecotourism is significant but very little studied. Usually, scientists use spatial units to map and assess the ecosystem services CORINE land cover or similar classifications. Traditional multi-level landscape classifications, very well-known and developed in the XXth century in Bulgaria, Russia, and other Eastern and Central European countries, could give valuable information for various indicators for ecosystem services assessment. From another hand, these classical landscape ecological maps are very little- known for the international scientific audience. We decided to conduct an experimental mapping and assessment of ecosystem services based on multi-level landscape classification. For this, we have chosen a case study area with hilly karst relief, which is part of the inner Predbalkan Region, located in North-Central Bulgaria. The site represents a scientific interest in terms of its transitional position between the Stara Planina Mountain and the Danube Plain and the presence of various anthropogenic changes. The study aimed to develop and test an original methodology for mapping and assessment of the capacity of the contemporary landscapes in the Strazhata syncline upland and Melovete hills to provide cultural ecosystem services – recreation and ecotourism. The results showed that 70% of the territory has medium or higher capacity, dominated mainly by karst areas with natural vegetation in protected sites.

Human-wildlife coexistence in shared landscapes requires effectively navigating different stakeholder interests. Despite progress in this field, most studies focus on a limited number of "problematic" wildlife species. This narrow scope overlooks the species-specific nature of human-wildlife interactions. To identify general patterns in stakeholder perceptions of diverse wildlife species, we implemented a modified 3i (interest, influence, impact) method to assess how individuals within seven stakeholder groups (crop farmers, livestock farmers, foresters, hunters, tourism operators, protected area managers, and staff of environmental non-governmental organizations) rated their interest in, their influence on, and how they are impacted by twelve wildlife species categories: moose, red deer, wild reindeer, chamois, roe deer, brown bear, wild boar, grey wolf, European ground squirrel, cormorant, eagles, and vultures (some of them were site-specific). The study design consisted of two steps: 1) assessing expert perceptions of the 3i for each stakeholder-species combination in each of the five study areas in Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Norway, and Spain, and 2) assessing stakeholder (251 individuals) perceptions of the 3i. We found substantial variation in stakeholder perceptions across groups, sites, and species categories. Within-group heterogeneity and individual respondents belonging to multiple stakeholder categories further challenged simplistic assumptions of distinct and well-defined stakeholder perspectives. Expert perceptions often underestimated stakeholder interest in wildlife species categories and occasionally diverged from stakeholder-perceptions of influence and impact. Notably, perceived impacts of brown bears, wolves, and eagles often exceeded the perceived influence on these species categories, underscoring a sense of powerlessness in managing interactions in some sites. Our study provides a comparative framework for understanding major patterns in key conservation conflicts in Europe, and emphasizes the importance of addressing contextualized stakeholder diversity and heterogeneity for more effective co-management of human-wildlife coexistence. These findings offer actionable pathways for improving conservation outcomes and participatory wildlife management across Europe.

Karst is a widely spread natural phenomenon which provides essential benefits to human society, such as drinking water. The water cycle in the karst geosystems is the main factor for their formation and at the same time one of the main drivers for ecosystem services (ES) provision. The monitoring of the water cycle can provide valuable information regarding its functioning and ensure data for ES assessment. This paper aims to present an overview of the monitoring of the water cycle in the karst geosystems and the opportunities to integrate the monitoring data into the water regulation ES assessment. The monitoring of the water cycle is based on the methodological framework ProKARSTerra. It is applied in model karst geosystems, which are representative of the main karst types in Bulgaria. One of them is the Brestnitsa karst geosystem, which is the case study of this work. The monitoring ensures data for analyses of the water cycle which can be used in the assessment of water-related ecosystem services. The results from the analyses of the data requirements and availability show that some services such as water flow regulation and regulation of chemical condition of freshwaters can be easily provided through data for quantification, while for others further studies are needed. The results of the long-term integrated monitoring in Brestnitsa karst geosystem provide the foundation for important conclusions and models for the karst genesis and function under global changes and active anthropogenic pressure. Their integration into the assessment framework and mapping of ecosystem services is an essential step towards the development of models for sustainable use of natural resources in the karst areas.