The Ecosystem Services Concept: Gaps between Science and Practice in River Landscape Management

This paper investigates the imbalance between the significance of the ecosystem services concept in scientific literature and its actual implementation in processes of river landscape management. Particular attention has been paid to stakeholders’ awareness of the concept, their perception of the practicability, and their concerns regarding implementation. In two Austrian river landscapes, qualitative interviews (n = 110) were conducted with decision makers, stakeholders in river landscape management processes, and other persons benefiting from landscape functions. There is little awareness of the concept in most stakeholder groups. Those who are already familiar with it reported that it currently only plays a minor role in their work. Nevertheless, they regarded the concept as a potentially relevant tool: not only for assessments of river ecosystems, but also for bolstering argumentation, communication, and education, as well as for minimizing redundancies with already implemented concepts such as landscape functionality.