The promise that ecosystem service assessments will contribute to better decision-making is not yet proven. We analyse how knowledge on ecosystem services is actually used to inform land and water management in 22 case studies covering different social-ecological systems in European and Latin American countries. None of the case studies reported instrumental use of knowledge in a sense that ecosystem service knowledge would have served as an impartial arbiter between policy options. Yet, in most cases, there was some evidence of conceptual learning as a result of close interaction between researchers, practitioners and stakeholders. We observed several factors that constrained knowledge uptake, including competing interests and political agendas, scientific disputes, professional norms and competencies, and lack of vertical and horizontal integration. Ecosystem knowledge played a small role particularly in those planning and policy-making situations where it challenged established interests and the current distribution of benefits from ecosystems. The factors that facilitated knowledge use included application of transparent participatory methods, social capital, policy champions and clear synergies between ecosystem services and human well-being. The results are aligned with previous studies which have emphasized the importance of building local capacity, ownership and trust for the long-term success of ecosystem service research.

生态系统服务评估将有助于做出更好的决策的承诺尚未得到证实。我们在涉及欧洲和拉丁美洲国家不同社会生态系统的22个案例研究中，分析了如何将生态系统服务知识实际用于土地和水管理。案例研究中没有一个报告从某种意义上说，在生态系统服务知识本可以作为政策选择之间的公正仲裁者的意义上，知识的工具性使用。然而，在大多数情况下，由于研究人员，从业人员和利益相关者之间的密切互动，有一些概念学习的证据。我们观察到制约知识吸收的几个因素，包括利益冲突和政治议程，科学争端，专业规范和能力，而且缺乏纵向和横向的整合。生态系统知识尤其在那些挑战既定利益和当前生态系统惠益分配的规划和决策环境中发挥着很小的作用。促进知识利用的因素包括采用透明的参与性方法，社会资本，政策支持者以及生态系统服务与人类福祉之间明显的协同作用。结果与先前的研究一致，后者强调了建立地方能力，所有权和信任对于生态系统服务研究的长期成功的重要性。促进知识利用的因素包括采用透明的参与性方法，社会资本，政策支持者以及生态系统服务与人类福祉之间明显的协同作用。结果与先前的研究一致，后者强调了建立地方能力，所有权和信任对于生态系统服务研究的长期成功的重要性。促进知识利用的因素包括采用透明的参与性方法，社会资本，政策支持者以及生态系统服务与人类福祉之间明显的协同作用。结果与先前的研究一致，后者强调了建立地方能力，所有权和信任对于生态系统服务研究的长期成功的重要性。