**3. Discussion**

The synthesis map (**Figure 6d**) reveals that a significant part of the case study (approximately 80%) has the ability to provide a high number of ES (seven or more ES classes identified and mapped). *Bocage*, *Zostera noltei* beds, riparian areas, salt marshes, coastal waters, and freshwater lakes are among the ecosystems present in the case study that provide the higher number of ES, namely maintaining good water quality, reducing patterns of erosion, flood protection,

**Figure 6.** Multifunctional areas by ES section: (a) provisioning, (b) regulating and maintenance, (c) cultural; and a

synthesis map combining all the ES classes (d).

138 Ecosystem Services and Global Ecology

In this research, an effort was made to bridge science and decision-making, more specifically ES research and environmental planning processes. Therefore, it used existing and available data, as well as mainstream software with the aim of enabling the uptake of the produced information, as well as the approach itself, by spatial planners and technicians. Additionally, it provided:


Being an interface system, Ria de Aveiro coastal region holds a diversity of ecosystems: from marine to seagrass meadows, saltmarshes, freshwater, extensive areas of agriculture, and so on. This brought out the differences in quality, scale, and accuracy of the available data. Marine and coastal lagoon ecosystems, and related uses and activities, have considerably less public and available information, with lower spatial detail than terrestrial ones. Availability of quantitative and systematic data at the ecosystem or land use/cover level rather than administrative is scarce, posing a constraint in the assessment of certain ESs at this scale of analysis.

We argue that ES characterization and mapping, as well as the identification of multifunctional areas, is only the beginning of the integration of ES in the environmental planning process. The analysis and diagnosis of a social-ecological system—which most often correspond to the first stages of any spatial planning process—should incorporate other layers of information, for instance, identify the main pressures resulting from human activities, management options, and/or climate change threatening multifunctional areas and identify their impacts on ecosystems and on their ability to provide ESs, as well as the effects on human well-being. This type of analysis is considered valuable to inform the design of local strategies to adapt communities to current and future challenges; to minimize the impact of pressures on the ecosystems; to identify priority areas for intervention; and to guide public investment. The incorporation of stakeholders' perceptions on significant ESs and concerns regarding the main pressures is also seen as an opportunity to improve the degree of policy and social relevance of the analysis, as it helps meeting the real needs of local population and potentially improving the acceptability of future decisions by communities.
