Biodiversity and ecosystem services: does species diversity enhance effectiveness and reliability?

In this report recent scientific literature was analysed, focussing on systematic review papers to clarify the relationship between species diversity and the effectiveness and reliability of seven ecosystem services. For those services where a relation with species diversity was found, the importance of the Dutch National Nature Network (NNN) and the network of small natural elements (green infrastructure, GI) in the landscape was assessed. Results indicate that species diversity is important for ecosystem service effectiveness. However, reliability is not well studied. NNN and GI are important for ecosystem service effectiveness, but it is not yet possible to derive concrete guidelines on the required amount and spatial configuration of NNN and GI for optimal ecosystem service provisioning. Several suggestions have been made to acquire knowledge on ecosystem services that is needed to improve the implementation of ecosystem services in local landscape planning