Novel business models to sustainably supply forest ecosystem services

Payments for Ecosystem Services are an important mechanism to link the growing demands and needs of society with the opportunities that natural services provide. The project NOBEL focuses on the enhancement and maintenance of forest ecosystem services and supports landowners in the design and use of novel business models.

Objectives

(i) develop business models and mechanisms to internalize the socio-economic value of forest ecosystems,
(ii) combine public policy tools with business models for implementing payments for forest ecosystem services at multiple levels, and
(iii) demonstrate and compare alternative approaches for payments in case studies in Europe.

NOBEL addresses these objectives in manifold ways including: Design of different management options for the provision of non-timber forest products and other ecosystem services like providing an improved welfare in forests, a good habitat for reindeer herders or the restoration of burnt forest sites. Management practices, stakeholder attitudes and consumer behavior are discussed at national and regional level with policy makers, providers and beneficiaries. A web-based auctioning platform is implemented to support the design of different business models and the analysis of trade-offs in multifunctional forest management. For the prediction and optimization of multiple sets of forest ecosystem services a framework of indicators is designed and applied by forest ecosystem models and remote sensing techniques.

Case Studies

Within five regions pilot demonstrations are established and investigated with local stakeholders

European Partners

The research consortium is composed of seven scientific institutions spread in Europe: AT, DE, FR, ES, PT, SE, NO

Project Description

How the value of forest ecosystem services derives from the scientific approaches, datasets and political surveys

Deliverables

Comparision of findings, lessons learned and workshops become new ideas for business models

News

Find more News here

Case studies

map of pilot demonstrations

Pilot demonstrations (PD)

  • PD1 | Portugal: Vale do Sousa, Northwest
  • PD2 | Sweden: Käringberget, Västerbotten, Boreal Zone
  • PD3 | Spain: Cerdanya, Pyrenees, Catalonia in Northeast
  • PD4 | Austria: Bad Aussee, Ennstaler Alpen
  • PD5 | France: Lorraine, Northeast France

Results

Check out the results page here

Facts and more information presented at the Forest Value Kick Off meeting:

download of Poster

Download of fact sheet English | French | German | Spanish | Swedish

Fact Sheet (en)