European islands are hotspots of biological and cultural diversity, which, compared to mainland, are more vulnerable to climate change, tourism development, uncontrolled land use changes and financial crisis. These factors have increasingly resulted in severe impacts on socio-economic and environmental services. SMILES – Enhancing Small-Medium IsLands resilience by securing the sustainability of Ecosystem Services, a COST Action (CA21158) that brings together 155 scientists, researchers and academics from 27 countries, aims to provide a platform for coordinated interdisciplinary research on several aspects of mapping and assessment of ecosystem services in small and medium European Islands to synthesize and strengthen the knowledge base for conservation of island realms and contribute to their sustainable development.
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