Table 2 List of assessment tools and descriptions

ARIES

Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services

Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3)

Framework to integrate multiple modeling paradigms in spatial modeling and mapping of ecosystem services. Supports artificial intelligence-based data and model selection through semantic modeling to quantify ecosystem service flows from ecosystems to beneficiaries (Villa et al. 2014, http://aries.integratedmodelling.org/).

Co$ting Nature

Co$ting Nature

King’s College London and AmbioTEK

Mapping and modeling tool for multiple ecosystem services using global datasets. Quantifies ecosystem services as opportunity costs (i.e., avoided cost of producing those services from a non-natural capital substitute) (Mulligan 2015, http://www.policysupport.org/costingnature).

EcoMetrix

EcoMetrix

EcoMetrix Solutions Group and Parametrix

Field-based tool designed for use at relatively fine spatial scales. Primary use is to illustrate the effects of human activities (i.e., development or restoration scenarios) on ecosystem services (Ecometrix Solutions Group 2013, http://www.ecometrixsolutions.com/ecometrix.html).

EnSym

Environmental Systems Modelling Platform

State of Victoria, Australia

Environmental systems modeling platform for researchers to apply process-based models. Designed to provide information on how and where to invest to maximize environmental outcomes (Ha et al. 2010, https://ensym.dse.vic.gov.au/cms/).

Envision

Envision

Oregon State University

GIS-based tool for scenario-based planning and environmental assessment. Enables “multi-agent modeling” to represent human decisions on landscape simulations (Guzy et al. 2008, http://envision.bioe.orst.edu/).

ESR for IA

Ecosystem Services Review for Impact Assessment

World Resources Institute

Method to address project impacts and dependencies on ecosystem services within the environmental and social impact assessment process. It identifies measures to mitigate project impacts on benefits provided by ecosystems and to manage operational dependency on ecosystems (Landsberg et al. 2011, http://www.wri.org/publication/ecosystem-services-review-impact-assessment).

EVT

Ecosystem Valuation Toolkit

Earth Economics

Provides monetary values for natural assets under multiple modules. Includes a Researcher’s Library, searchable database of ecosystem service values, and SERVES, a web-based tool for calculating ecosystem service values (Earth Economics2015, http://esvaluation.org/).

InVEST

Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs

Natural Capital Project

Spatial mapping and modeling of multiple ecosystem services. Includes a diverse set of provisioning, regulating, and cultural services from marine and terrestrial environments. The models primarily provide results in biophysical terms to which valuation can be applied (Sharp et al. 2014, http://www.naturalcapitalproject.org/).

LUCI

Land Utilisation and Capability Indicator

Victoria University of Wellington

Explores the capability of a landscape to provide a variety of ecosystem services. It compares the services provided by the current use of the landscape and its potential capability. The model uses this information to identify areas where change or maintenance of current conditions may be most beneficial (Jackson et al. 2013, http://www.lucitools.org/).

MIMES

Multiscale Integrated Models of Ecosystem Services

Afordable Futures

Modeling platform designed to quantify causal linkages between ecosystems and the economy. MIMES allows an individual to map decisions/policies, and the output illustrates how those choices affect the economy and ecosystems (Boumans et al. 2015, http://www.afordablefutures.com/orientation-to-what-we-do/services/mimes).

NAIS

Natural Assets Information System

Spatial Informatics Group

Integrated valuation database and reporting engine. The database is integrated with proprietary spatial modeling tools to characterize ecosystems and flow of services on the landscape (Troy and Wilson 2006, http://www.sig-gis.com/services/ecosystem-services/).

SolVES

Social Values for Ecosystem Services

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Spatial mapping and modeling tool primarily for quantifying cultural ecosystem services using public participatory GIS (Sherrouse et al. 2011, http://solves.cr.usgs.gov/).

TESSA

Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment

BirdLife International

A process using flow charts to describe how ecosystem services benefit society under current conditions and alternative scenarios (Peh et al. 2013, http://tessa.tools/).