Ecosystem services in ECOCLIM

Surface exchange of greenhouse gasses (GHG) between land/sea and the atmosphere is an important climate feedback mechanism. The processes involved in exchange of GHG needs to be fully understood and accurately quantified in order to increase reliability of climate projections and ensure that actions initiated to reduce anthropogenic GHG emissions are sustainable and not destructive to existing ecosystem services. Therefore it is important to address i.e. land use change in relation to the regulating services of the ecosystems, such as carbon sequestration and climate regulation. At present, the surface exchange of GHG in Denmark and Danish waters is unknown and qualified predictions of the effect of changes in climate or anthropogenic activities are not possible. In ECOCLIM it is a goal to quantify the natural sinks and sources controlling the atmospheric concentration of CO2 and CH4 thus a thorough understanding of the ecosystem processes controlling the uptake or emissions of GHG is fundamental. Here we present ECOCLIM in the context of ecosystem services and the experimental studies within ECOCLIM which will lead to an enhanced understanding of Danish ecosystems.