How Much Are Nature's Services Worth?

Westman, Walter E.

doi:10.1126/science.197.4307.960

Cited by 536 publications

(267 citation statements)

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“…Avant même l'invention du terme biodiversité, la question de la valeur des services de la nature était posée (Westman, 1977), ainsi que celle de penser les politiques de conservation en termes d'efficacité écono-mique (Page, 1977). Dans l'ouvrage fondateur de Wilson (1988), trois chapitres portent sur les enjeux et les difficultés d'une évaluation économique.…”

Section: éValuation éConomique De La Biodiversité : De Quoi Est-il Quunclassified

Dossier « Le réveil du dodo III » - Évaluer la biodiversité et les services écosystémiques : pourquoi, comment et avec quels résultats ?

Salles

2010

Nat. Sci. Soc.

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Mots-clés :biodiversité ; choix collectifs ; évaluation économique ; politiques de conservation ; services écosystémiques.Résumé -L'évaluation de la biodiversité et des services liés aux écosystèmes est actuellement l'objet de nombreux travaux et d'un large débat. Afin de dépasser les oppositions, il importe de comprendre ce que signifie vraiment l'évaluation économique pour en cerner l'intérêt et les limites. Le nécessaire élargissement de la notion de valeur qu'implique une analyse appropriée de ces services a donné lieu à une pluralité de méthodes, parfois durement contestées. L'objet de cet article est de préciser certains termes de ces débats, tant conceptuels que méthodologiques, ainsi que le choix des objets à évaluer, en les resituant par rapport aux objectifs très différents que peuvent poursuivre les évaluations. Keywords:biodiversity; collective choices; economic valuation; conservation policies; ecosystem services Abstract -Biodiversity and ecosystem services valuation: for which purpose, how and with which results? The valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services is the subject of many studies and extensive debate. To overcome problems of principle, the real meaning of economic evaluation must be clarified in order to identify its advantages and limitations. An appropriate analysis of these services implied extending the concept of value and has given rise to a plurality of methods that may be strongly challenged. The purpose of this paper is to clarify some terms of these debates. There are reasons for being reluctant to give a price index to Nature's services, but its conservation entails costs, at least opportunity costs. Most valuation methods rest upon individual preferences, either revealed by concrete behaviours, or stated during interviews, and this is clearly an issue for items agents are not familiar with or do not perceive clearly the benefits. Finally, valuing biodiversity through ecosystem services might lead to underestimate some major parts of what constitutes biodiversity social value. These issues have to be replaced in relation to the very different objectives that may further the actual valuations. The paper concludes that valuation can offer quite a valuable contribution to conservation policies, but since the relation between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being remains poorly understood, that it is a far too important stake to let economists alone in facing these puzzles.

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Section: éValuation éConomique De La Biodiversité : De Quoi Est-il Quunclassified

Dossier « Le réveil du dodo III » - Évaluer la biodiversité et les services écosystémiques : pourquoi, comment et avec quels résultats ?

Salles

2010

Nat. Sci. Soc.

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“…These approaches incorporate the concept of an operating system, that needs to be manipulated as a whole. However, current day limitations to evaluate socio-economic implications and the effects of human activities in the structure and function of ecosystems (Risser, 1985), determine that benefits of the ecosystems to the society are much more related to their structural aspects than the functional one (Westman, 1977).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The value of the Ecological Station of Jataí's ecosystem services and natural capital

et al. 2001

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The capacity of a given natural ecosystem to provide certain goods and services that satisfy human needs depends on its environmental characteristics (natural processes and components). It was described the availability of these goods and services (environmental functions) controlled and sustained by ecological processes operating in Ecological Station of Jataí (Luiz Antônio, SP). The environmental functions identified were grouped in four main categories. To make environmental values an integrated factor in planning and decision making it was assessed their socio-economic importance in qualitative terms and, if possible their monetary value. The combined potential annual return from identified functions of Ecological Station of Jataí is at least US$ 708.83/ha/year. In comparison to calculations made for other natural ecosystems this is a rather moderate estimate. The Ecological Station of Jataí is poorly protected and managed, it too is still threatened by human activity (agriculture) and many development plans. Although present day market economics do not recognize the monetary value of most environmental functions, such calculations do provide a revealing insight into the great socio-economic importance of Ecological Station of Jataí. More awareness of these values may provide an important incentive for their preservation and sustainable use.Key words: ecosystem services, environmental functions, natural capital, natural conservation area. RESUMO O valor dos serviços dos ecossistemas e do capital natural da Estação Ecológica de JataíA capacidade de um determinado ecossistema natural proporcionar bens e serviços que satisfaçam as necessidades humanas depende de suas características ambientais (processos e componentes naturais). Foi descrita a disponibilidade desses bens e serviços (funções ambientais), controlados e mantidos pelos processos ecológicos operantes na Estação Ecológica de Jataí (Luiz Antônio, SP). As funções ambientais identificadas foram agrupadas em quatro categorias. Foi determinado o valor sócio-econômico das funções ambientais, em termos quali e quantitativos, quando possível, na perspectiva de integrar os valores ambientais nos processos de planejamento e tomada de decisão. O retorno sócio-econômico anual para as funções ambientais identificadas da Estação Ecológica de Jataí é de aproximadamente US$ 708,83/ha/ano. Em comparação com estimativas realizadas para outros ecossistemas naturais, esse valor é bastante moderado. A Estação Ecológica de Jataí demonstra ser pouco protegida, com sua manutenção comprometida por atividades humanas (agricultura) e muitos planos de desenvolvimento. Embora o mercado econômico não reconheça o valor monetário da maioria das funções ambientais, essas estimativas não revelam a grandeza da importância sócio-econômica da Estação Rev. Brasil. Biol., 172 SANTOS, J. E. et al.Ecológica de Jataí. Um interesse maior com esses valores pode proporcionar um incentivo importante para sua preservação e uso sustentado.Palavras-chave: serviços dos ecossistemas, funções ...

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“…In a sense, we measure an ecosystem's "wealth" when we measure C. That is because C is involved, directly and indirectly, in so many "ecosystem services" [a concept described by Daily (1997), Westman (1977), and Luck et al (2003)]. In agricultural lands, for example, soil organic C is linked to nutrient release, biological activity, and soil structure (e.g., Gregorich et al 1997;Rees et al 2001).…”

Section: It Is Linked To Ecosystem Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Soil carbon: A measure of ecosystem response in a changing world?

Janzen¹

2005

Can. J. Soil. Sci.

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Janzen, H. H. 2005. Soil carbon: A measure of ecosystem response in a changing world? Can. J. Soil Sci. 85: 467-480. The global carbon (C) cycle is changing, as evident from abrupt increases in atmospheric CO 2 . These changes have sparked interest in agricultural soils as potential repositories for excess atmospheric C. Our perspective on soil C, therefore, has shifted: once, we focused mainly on how soil C affected productivity within agroecosystems; now we see also how C dynamics in agricultural soils exert influences far beyond the farm. We have long used soil C as an indicator of soil quality; now we may want to use soil C also as a broader indicator of ecosystem response. To prompt further discussion, I offer some tentative thoughts about how we might use soil C as an indicator on a changing earth. They include: using soil C to measure changes across time, not only across space; devising more sensitive measures of soil C change; quantifying soil C across four dimensions; measuring the nature of C, as well as its amount; using soil C alongside other indicators; finding better ways of admitting our uncertainty; establishing long-term sites for our successors to measure soil C change; and following flows of C past the farm fences. Recent worries about global warming have focused our attention on "sequestering" soil C to remove atmospheric CO 2 . That aim may be worthy, but perhaps too narrow; a broader goal might be to ensure the productivity, permanence, and health of our agroecosystems and adjacent environments -and use C storage as a measure of progress toward that goal.Key words: Soil organic matter, global carbon cycle, carbon sequestration, global change Janzen, H. H. 2005. Le carbone du sol : un moyen de mesurer la réaction de l'écosystème à un monde en pleine évolution?. Can. J. Soil Sci. 85: 467-480. Le cycle global du carbone (C) est en train de changer, ainsi que le prouve la hausse dramatique de la concentration de CO 2 dans l'atmosphère. Cette situation ravive l'intérêt pour les sols agricoles en tant que dépôt potentiel pour le C en excédent dans l'air. Notre point de vue sur le C du sol n'est donc plus tout à fait le même : naguère, on s'intéressait surtout à la façon dont cet élément affectait la productivité de l'écosystème agricole; à présent, on s'intéresse à la manière dont le C des sols cultivés, par sa dynamique, fait sentir son influence loin au-delà de l'exploitation agricole. Le C du sol sert depuis longtemps à jauger la qualité des sols; désormais, il pourrait servir d'indicateur général pour nous renseigner sur les réactions de l'écosys-tème. Afin d'alimenter le débat, l'auteur lance quelques idées audacieuses sur l'indicateur que le C du sol pourrait devenir sur une planète en métamorphose. On pourrait, par exemple, s'en servir pour mesurer les changements dans le temps et pas seulement dans l'espace; mettre au point des mesures plus sensibles pour suivre l'évolution du C du sol; quantifier le C du sol dans quatre dimensions; préciser la nature du C en plus de sa quantité; utiliser...

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How Much Are Nature's Services Worth?

Cited by 536 publications

References 13 publications

Dossier « Le réveil du dodo III » - Évaluer la biodiversité et les services écosystémiques : pourquoi, comment et avec quels résultats ?

Dossier « Le réveil du dodo III » - Évaluer la biodiversité et les services écosystémiques : pourquoi, comment et avec quels résultats ?

The value of the Ecological Station of Jataí's ecosystem services and natural capital

Soil carbon: A measure of ecosystem response in a changing world?

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