ASSESSMENT AND MAPPING OF MOUNTAIN FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: THE CASE STUDY OF PIRIN NATIONAL PARK

Protected areas (PAs) are widely recognized for their potential to protect biodiversity and to secure ecosystem services (ES). We selected a system of informative indicators for assessment of ecosystem condition, related to biodiversity dynamics, landscape fragmentation, and habitat loss, considering their particular sensitivity to global change and the importance of specific services they provide. The analysis of the potential of the forest ecosystems in the case-study area was done by processing the available data from the Management Plan of NP Pirin and the data for Natura 2000 sites, by applying modern GIS-based methods and models. The prioritization of ES provided by forests in NP Pirin has been conducted based on expert assessment and questionnaires. The elaboration of ES maps allows the proper understandings of the impacts of mountain forest ecosystems on human welfare and support decision-makers for sustainable management of these services.