## 5 Conclusions  
This study is the result of a first attempt to present an assessment of nationwide biophysical loss ES flows caused by land consumption as an indicator of urbanization in Italy at a detailed spatial resolution, dealing with the problem of the lack of accurate and available information for the whole study area, and trying to collect and harmonize existing data from different scientific fields. Indeed, the concept of ES, and the related frameworks developed at the international level, have been recognized as fundamental for supporting territorial management policies, and the importance of biophysical quantifications has been emphasized, with a view to supporting economic evaluations and natural capital management. The multitemporal analysis set out herein may serve as a tool for stakeholders and policymakers that allows them to understand the impact of human activities, and in particular urbanization, on land cover pattern, the rates of variation, and the causes that give rise to changes in the provision of ES. Furthermore, remote sensing and GIS technologies make it possible to analyze, assess, and map ES at different spatial and temporal scales for the purpose of understanding how the provision thereof varies according to territorial dynamics and different underlying socioeconomic circumstances, and how the synergies and trade-offs between the various ES in certain landscapes occur. The evaluation of soil-based ES is becoming increasingly important in the context of land planning, since urban planning predominantly has an impact on soil resources. The six ES investigated herein are strictly connected with soil properties and functions, and modifications of this resource on account of urban expansion can affect the ecosystems' ability to provide goods and benefits. Therefore, soil-based ES are a valuable reference-point and provide useful indications to administrations for the purpose of sustainable development policies and land planning, both at the national and local scale, even though they have to date not yet found a stable and codified position in the land use planning process. Moreover, our study underlines the importance of using multilayered thematic data and the detailed localization of rapid changes that support the investigation of how urbanization affects ES and provides suggestions for how urban planning can be conducted with a view to ES protection, sustainable urban development, and human well-being. For this reason, this paper has pointed out the importance of using integrated data and methodologies, as well as more consistent and detailed data inputs. This allows well-founded approaches to be adopted, with a view to gaining both a thorough understanding of ES-related processes and the changes therein that are taking place, as well as acquiring a reference framework for the purpose of also gaining further insights that evaluate ES at different scales, from national to local levels. Further developments and improvements in the methodology are foreseen, especially as far as the search for updated and accurate thematic data and the use of new analysis models is concerned. In this respect, the Horizon 2020 project (SERENA: Soil Ecosystem seRvices and soil threats modElling aNd mApping) is currently conducting an in-depth analysis of this approach at the European level, whereas the LIFE preparatory project (NewLife4 Drylands: Remote sensing oriented nature based solutions towards a NEW LIFE FOR DRYLANDS) is doing so at the local level. The results generated therefrom may serve as a basis for tackling multiscale landscape management and planning issues. **Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, F.A. and D.S. ; Methodology, F.A., A.S. and M.M. ; Formal analysis, A.C., L.C., C.G., N.R. and A.S.; Writing--original draft preparation, D.S. ; Writing--review and editing, F.A., D.S., C.G., L.C., C.G., N.R., A.S. and M.M.M. ; Supervision, F.A. and M.M. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. **Funding:** This manuscript is not funded by a specific project grant.