D.3. Monitoring of the socio-economic impact, ecosystem services

This action will be based on findings of the study in action A.6, and we will perform more detailed assessments per ecosystem services, and several case studies as described below. We will produce two reports within this action.

Report “GrassLIFE and Ecosystem Services” will help us to identify and assess the ecosystem services linked to grasslands. It will consist of desk study and case studies from our farms.

1. Desk study about the overall impact of the restoration on ecosystem functions, based on the report produced in action A.6. A wide range of the functions will be assessed, such as: 1) provisioning ecosystem services: food, materials, fresh water, and medicinal resources; 2) regulating ecosystem services: carbon sequestration and storage, moderation of extreme events, erosion prevention, and pollination; 3) habitat /supporting ecosystem services: habitats for species and genetic diversity; and 4) cultural ecosystem services: recreation, tourism, aesthetic appreciation, traditions and cultural rituals.
2. Case studies. Detailed assessments of the key services in the context of GrassLIFE will be performed: food, animal fodder, medicinal plants, pollination, cultural aspects etc. We will attempt to quantify the impact of the project on improving ecosystem services. This part of the study will be done on the basis of the case studies from other countries and it will be complemented with our own data gathered in our field/case studies (for example, analysis of grass in terms of its content, analysis of micro-elements in honey obtained from average grassland and priority grassland habitats, analysis of plants and their medicinal qualities, assessment on increase of yields in farming upon availability of pollinators.

Report “GrassLIFE and socio-economic benefits of grasslands” will help us to identify the socio-economic impact of the project, via identification of the products that come from the grasslands.

Assessment of the socio-economic impact of the project will be done via identification of the products and other benefits that come from the grasslands and the project. The findings will be described in the report “GrassLIFE and socio-economic benefits of grasslands”. It will focus on following elements: grassland products and their socio-economic value; impact of GrassLIFE in improving the local economy; promoting regional development and offsetting social and economic isolation by providing the means for people to live and work in the countryside; raising the profile of grasslands, and resulting positive impact on viability of rural areas; promoting green products, organic agriculture and circular economy; linkage of ecosystem services to socio-economic benefits (valuation, where possible).