The Special Issue in One Ecosystem is one of the outcomes from the EU funded project ESMERALDA (Enhancing ecosystem services mapping for policy and decision making http://www.esmeralda-project.eu/). ESMERALDA aims to deliver a ‘flexible methodology’ that can provide innovative building blocks for pan-European, national and regional ES mapping and assessment. This will ensure the timely delivery by all EU member states of Action 5 of the European Biodiversity strategy, and local assessments required for spatial planning, agriculture, climate, water and nature policy.