Module 4: Measuring Impact: Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services

his module provides a structured introduction to understanding, assessing, and applying biodiversity and ecosystem services in urban planning and design. Participants will explore how ecosystem services operate across different spatial scales—from neighborhood-level interventions to city-wide strategies—and how they can be measured using qualitative and quantitative tools. Through a combination of short lectures, case studies, serious games, data-based exercises, and practical calculations, the module demonstrates how biodiversity and ecosystem services can be translated into planning-relevant indicators and design decisions. Particular attention is given to nature-based solutions, urban forests, and tree-based interventions as key components of climate adaptation and urban resilience. By the end of the module, participants will not only understand why biodiversity matters, but also how to assess its potential, interpret data, and link ecological evidence to concrete planning, design, and management decisions that support both environmental quality and human well-being.

Time Required: 5 hours 5 minutes. 

Keywords: Urban biodiversity; Ecosystem services; Nature-based solutions (NbS); Urban forestry; Biodiversity indicators; Ecosystem service assessment; Climate adaptation; Green infrastructure; Urban resilience; Spatial planning; Tree diversity; Local-scale assessment

Learning outcomes:

After completing this module, learners will be able to:

1. Explain the concept of ecosystem services and their role in urban resilience, climate adaptation, and human well-being.

2. Describe key approaches and frameworks for assessing biodiversity at different spatial scales, including local and city-wide contexts.

3. Interpret the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem services, and urban environmental challenges using examples from European cities.

4. Apply selected assessment tools and indicators (e.g. biodiversity indices, ecosystem service indicators, simple spatial analyses) to evaluate urban areas.

5. Analyze how different nature-based solutions—particularly tree-based and green infrastructure interventions—contribute to ecosystem services under varying urban conditions.

6. Evaluate the potential and limitations of biodiversity-enhancing measures in real urban contexts, considering environmental, spatial, and social factors.

7. Formulate evidence-based conclusions linking biodiversity assessment results to planning, design, and management decisions in urban environments.

8. Integrate ecological, spatial, and technical considerations to support the development of resilient, biodiversity-oriented urban solutions.

Authors: Marzena Suchocka, Magdalena Błaszczyk, Kinga Kimic, Magdalena Wojnowska-Heciak, Gabriela Maksymiuk, Joanna Kosno-Jończy, Karolina Kais, Kacper Rybicki, Alicja Kazimierczak, Olga Balcerzak - Warsaw University of Life Sciences