Ecosystem extent accounts for Europe.

• Detailed SEEA ecosystem extent accounts can be built from the CORINE land cover accounting data set. • CORINE land cover as proxy for ecosystem types divided in tiers of increasing ecological detail. • Over the 2000 to 2018 period European urban land cover increased by 16,606 km² (or 7.1%). • Geo-spatial database enables targeted geographic analysis of ecosystem trends in support of policy. This paper describes the set-up and results for ecosystem extent accounts at European level, developed in the context of the United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA). These accounts inform on the opening and closing 'stocks' of ecosystems and provide essential geo-spatial data to support the calculation of ecosystem condition and services accounts. The paper presents the first set of ecosystem extent accounts for Europe, covering the period 2000–2018. These show that ecosystems are relatively stable at the European scale, with significant increases in Urban ecosystems and some decrease in Heathland and shrub and Grassland ecosystems. The paper demonstrates the use of a flexible geo-spatial database to gain analytical insights for different ecosystem accounting areas, using European biogeographical regions and Natura 2000 areas as examples. More detailed ecosystem extent accounts (tier II and tier III) show trends inter alia for Agro-forestry, Peat Bog, Beaches, dunes and sands as well as Salt marsh ecosystems, important for biodiversity and ecosystem services. The accounting approach presented delivers a geo-spatial data foundation that can support further ecosystem analysis and accounts. This enables the targeting of ecosystem analysis on specific geographic areas and policy instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]