Geosystem disservices: towards a holistic approach to geosystem functions

The ecosystem services concept is widely accepted and reflected in scientific literature with a notable overreach to nature conservation, management, practice and policies already for several decades. The similar situation is with geosystem services (abiotic ecosystem services), although their conceptualisation is the matter of a shorter period. In contrast, the ecosystem disservices approach is relatively new to the field, and it is accompanied by debates about its meaning, purpose and sense. In recent years, its conceptualisation is being developed and several definitions and classifications have been presented in the scientific literature. Ecosystem disservices are now considered as the results of ecosystem functions, processes and interactions that impact human well-being and are assessed as damaging under a relevant value system. Nevertheless, the majority of the approaches to ecosystem disservices is focused on living nature (biodiversity) and although the adverse, harmful, or unpleasant impacts of geodiversity (especially geomorphological processes and eventually landforms) are well-known (and usually presented as risks or geohazards), a clear conceptual framework for describing these impacts is still missing.,This paper aims to explore the position of geodiversity within ecosystem disservices and to provide conceptualisation, definition and classification framework of so called geosystem disservices. Several classification frameworks used already in ecosystem disservices approach are applied for geosystem disservices, and particular examples of geosystem disservices are presented. Additionally, the related topics such as changing perception of disservices, human influence on disservices, or future directions of research or practical applications are outlined.