Matching the supply and demand of forest ecosystem services in Europe: Insights from a systematic literature mapping

Purpose of Review
Comparing the available supply, the societal demand, and the actual use of forest ecosystem services (FES) reveals where societal needs are met, where forests are overexploited to do so, and/or where untapped potential exists. Due to the complexity of this task, many studies focus exclusively on either supply or demand, disregarding their interconnection and limiting the integration of scientific findings into policy and practice. To better understand and address this gap, we aim to identify the main challenges in quantitatively mapping and modelling FES supply-demand mismatches, and to outline practical opportunities for integrating both perspectives.
Recent Findings
This study presents the synthesis of a systematic literature mapping, where proxy indicators and estimates used to quantify the supply and demand of FES across Europe were collected. We discuss four key challenges, identified from this synthesis, that currently limit the integration of FES supply and demand in practice: (1) inconsistencies in FES quantification methods, (2) limitations of the ecosystem service cascade framework, (3) issues with data availability and reliability, and (4) the interdisciplinary nature of matching supply and demand. Different integration pathways exist, depending on the specific FES and study aim, as a universal integration approach remains unrealistic.
Summary
Identifying mismatches between the supply and demand of FES remains challenging in practice, especially across large spatial scales. Drawing on an extensive systematic literature mapping exercise, this study uncovers key underlying causes for this research gap and highlights the importance of tailored, FES-specific strategies reconciling ecological and socioeconomic perspectives.