NbS, fornitura di habitat e modelli ecologici

Urban environments can be regarded as complex socio-ecological systems, in which ecosystem services result as emergent properties from the interactions between ecological processes and human activities. Such systems are threatened by multiple drivers of change, including those connected to resource exploitation and ecosystem fruition, along with climate related drivers. NbS and restoration intervention can represent a way to foster urban resilience, by acting on important habitat services, including life cycle maintenance. However, the accounting of habitat services is rarely taken into consideration in EIA and SEA impact assessment procedures. Ecological models could support practitioners in the biophysical accounting of such services, also allowing to compare quantitatively alternative choices of intervention. This contribution presents a narrative review on models supporting the quantification of habitat services, discussing challenges and opportunities connected to their application, which are identified through a preliminary test case carried out in an urbanized area of the Veneto region.