The research project is a part of the DAAD-funded collaboration “German-Armenian Network on the Advancement of Public Participation GIS for Ecosystem Services as a Means for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development (GAtES)” between the University of Hohenheim and the American University of Armenia Acopian Center for the Environment. GAtES harnesses the ecosystem services framework and Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) methods for enhancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in Armenia.