Ecosystem service-multifunctionality in the European transboundary cooperation area EUREGIO

Ecosystem Service-multifunctionality (ES-multifunctionality) is defined as the capacity of ecosystems to supply multiple services within the same spatial unit. The present datasets contain the results of an ES-multifunctionality assessment across a case study region in the eastern European Alps, including the two Italian Autonomous provinces of Trentino and South Tyrol and the Austrian federal state of Tyrol (EUREGIO). ES-multifunctionality was calculated using two diversity indices originating from biodiversity studies: α- and β-diversity.  α-multifunctionality is defined as the diversity of ES supplied in terms of ES richness and abundance and accounts for service evenness, favoring a balanced supply of ES. β-multifunctionality is defined as the unique ES contribution of spatial units (e.g., ecosystems, landscape) to ES-multifunctionality at bigger spatial scales (e.g., region). A landscape is considered unique when it supplies specific ES at a higher level compared to other sites in the region.

By using 11 ES indicators (carbon sequestration, filtration of surface water, forest protection, lifecycle maintenance, gene pool protection, land use integrity and quality, fuelwood production, grassland production, outdoor recreation, symbolic species, foraging practices), we measured the diversity of ES supplied (i.e., α-multifunctionality) at the patch (100 m pixel resolution) and landscape scale (using the municipality boundaries as landscape units, Local Administrative Level 2). β-multifunctionality was calculated at the landscape scale as the average ES abundance-based dissimilarities between landscape units.

The datasets include:

a .tiff raster file containing the records of α-multifunctionality at the patch scale at the pixel resolution of 100 m across the study area.

a .csv spreadsheet containing the records of α- and β-multifunctionality at the Local Administrative Level 2 across the study area.