ARIES can accommodate a range of different use scenarios, including spatial assessments and economic valuations of ecosystem services, optimization of payment schemes for ecosystem services, and spatial policy planning. The table below provides examples of ARIES functionalities that match diverse user needs. Each user session of ARIES can contain one or more of the following functionalities depending on needs and priorities.

Uses of ARIES

ARIES use	Sample questions	Spatial scale
Spatial assessment and distribution of ecosystem services	What ecosystem services are being provided and where in space? Where are the beneficiaries of ES located in the landscape?	Local to National
Spatial economic valuation of ecosystem services	What is the economic value of the ES being provided, and how is this value distributed in space? What compensation amounts should be requested for a given environmental damage?	Local to National
Optimization of payment schemes for Ecosystem Services (PES)	Where is it best to invest in payment schemes for ES so as to optimize investment? What type of PES scheme is the most effective given the nature of the environmental assets? How are opportunity costs distributed in space? How are probabilities of land conversion distributed in space?	Watershed to Regional
Conservation planning	Where is it most efficient and cost-effective to invest in conservation for the combined provision of biodiversity and important ES?	Local, watershed, regional
Spatial policy planning	What policy tools (payments, penalties, property rights, persuasion and prescription) are likely to be most effective for the maintenance of ES and the minimization of environmental impact?	Local, watershed, regional
Forecasting of change in ES provision	How is land use change going to affect the provisioning and value of ES?	Local, watershed, regional