In international documents and the vast majority of foreign research, the concept of their economic contribution to the well-being of the local community is the starting point in the definition of ecosystem services. That is, the definition depends on the economic benefits to consumers of the functions and services provided by local ecosystems. This approach makes it possible to identify the range of ecosystem services from the standpoint of their economic feasibility and include them as a commodity in economic circulation and in the system of management decisions. It is necessary to start from the initial grassroots level of subjects of nature management - territorial communities.

Considering ecosystem services as a source of socio-economic well-being at the grassroots territorial level, the study revealed the paramount importance of ecosystem assets of local communities as a starting point for their ability to function and develop, which is justified as follows.

The capacity of a community depends on the efficiency of its endogenous potential, which, in turn, consists of (i) economic (production, natural resource, entrepreneurial, organizational and managerial, infrastructural, innovative, scientific and information potential), (ii) financial (budget)-tax, investment, the potential of the real sector of the economy, the potential of financial institutions, the potential of households), (iii) human potential. Based on this and given the previously identified dualism of the essential content of ecosystem assets of territorial communities, these assets are defined as components of the economic potential of the community (including its production, natural resources, entrepreneurial potential at the same time) and as components of financial potential capacity of households). Thus, the ecosystem assets of territorial communities are a basic and powerful determinant of ensuring the capacity of territorial communities.

Increasing the involvement of ecosystem assets of local communities in economic circulation reveals them as a determinant of community capacity building, but provided, first, awareness of the community and governing bodies of their importance, and secondly - the inclusion of ecosystem assets in the community's interests. In our opinion, this will be facilitated primarily by conducting an inventory (audit), description and assessment of existing ecosystem assets, to which the community has the right to assign, own, use and dispose (in aggregate or in some partial manifestations of this right) as objects. communal property rights in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Local Self-Government in Ukraine". Thus, the dualism of essential content of ecosystem assets of territorial communities is supplemented by their currently established functional dualism, which is that ecosystem assets of territorial communities are a determinant, on the one hand, ensuring the capacity of the territorial community, and on the other - under certain conditions - strengthening its capacity.

Department of Ecosystem Assessment

of Natural Resource Potential