Authors: Tanács, Eszter; Tormáné Kovács, Eszter;Báldi, András;

Ecosystem assessments provide valuable information on the extent and condition of ecosystems, and the range of functions and services they provide to society. However both the methods and results of such assessments take time to find their way into conservation practice. We used an online survey to get some information about the post-project use of ecosystem type, condition and services maps in practice. Our first results are based on answers from six national or regional parks from six European countries who had carried out such assessments for their area. These show that ecosystem type maps are more widely used than ecosystem condition or services maps. Those who use any of the maps, use them regularly and for diverse tasks. The reasons for no use vary, in many cases there is simply no interest, but a post-project shift in the focus of the institution can also play a role. Data quality also features; the need for up-to-date maps based on field data (rather than just using available databases) was highlighted. While project participants tend to see the potential usefulness of such maps, there is still a lot to do to facilitate their use in conservation practice.