The Interreg Italia–Slovenia E-NAT2CARE project is pleased to present the new Infosheet for Experts: Operational Guide to the Software Tool for Transboundary Ecosystems Evaluation—a practical and comprehensive resource designed to support Natura 2000 (N2K) site managers and technical experts in assessing ecosystem services (ES) across borders.
As highlighted by Burkhard and Maes (2017), “Ecosystem Services (ES) are the contributions of ecosystem structure and function (in combination with other inputs) to human well-being.” This simple yet powerful definition frames the core challenge faced by N2K managers: safeguarding the natural capital that underpins human well-being while navigating increasing pressures from land use, climate change, and socio-economic demands.
Natura 2000 sites are essential for the conservation of Europe’s biodiversity, but they are also living landscapes where multiple stakeholders depend on the services provided by healthy ecosystems—clean water, climate regulation, recreation, pollination, and many more. Ensuring that ecosystems remain functional while integrating ES into territorial planning requires robust, shared, and transparent methodologies. This need is especially pronounced in transboundary areas, where environmental dynamics and management responsibilities extend across national borders.
The infosheet introduces the methodology developed within E-NAT2CARE and explains how the accompanying Software Tool supports its practical implementation. Rather than offering a theoretical framework alone, the tool translates the methodology into a clear sequence of actions that guide experts from the selection of relevant Natura 2000 sites to the identification of ecosystems, services, and stakeholders involved. Built as an interconnected Excel workbook, it seamlessly links each phase of the analysis, ensuring that information flows logically and remains consistent throughout the process. The intuitive color system—grey for locked fields, green for predefined selections, and orange for user inputs—helps maintain clarity and minimizes mistakes, making the tool accessible even to those less familiar with structured data processing.
Beyond facilitating technical work, the infosheet emphasizes the broader value of adopting a shared assessment approach. In transboundary territories, ecosystems rarely follow administrative boundaries, and their management requires cooperation based on common criteria and comparable datasets. By standardizing the way ecosystem services and stakeholder relations are captured, the tool fosters better communication between managers on both sides of the border. This shared understanding becomes essential when planning joint actions, addressing pressures that affect multiple jurisdictions, or exploring mechanisms such as Payments for Ecosystem Services, which the infosheet discusses through an accessible overview in its appendix.
Overall, the Infosheet for Experts offers a concise, practical doorway into a methodology designed to strengthen collaboration, improve ecosystem evaluations, and support informed decision-making for the long-term resilience of shared natural heritage.
