Linking Ecology and Economics for Ecosystem Management

Abstract

This article outlines an approach, based on ecosystem services, for assessing the trade-offs inherent in managing humans embedded in ecological systems. Evaluating these trade-offs requires an understanding of the biophysical magnitudes of the changes in ecosystem services that result from human actions, and of the impact of these changes on human welfare. We summarize the state of the art of ecosystem services-based management and the information needs for applying it. Three case studies of Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites-coastal, urban, and agriculturalillustrate the usefulness, information needs, quantification possibilities, and methods for this approach. One example of the application of this approach, with rigorously established service changes and valuations taken from the literature, is used to illustrate the potential for full economic valuation of several agricultural landscape management options, including managing for water quality, biodiversity, and crop productivity.

A Review of the Elements of Human Well-Being with an Emphasis on the Contribution of Ecosystem Services

“…Some economists believe the pricing structure for valuing ecosystems and their services are simply limited or wrong (Boyd and Banzhaf 2007;Boyd 2008). Existing neo-classical economic approaches have been deemed inadequate by some to address current environmental policy needs (Cropper 2000) and new approaches for determining the value of nature have been necessary (Faber et al 2006;Boyd and Banzhaf 2007). Alternative non-monetary value metrics have emerged such as emergy, exergy, happiness, and life satisfaction (Jørgensen et al 1995 …”

Biotic interactions, ecological knowledge and agriculture

“…Another strategy being investigated is increasing competition for nutrients on leaf surfaces by enhancing saprophytic fungal, bacterial and/or yeast populations. This approach shows promise for controlling grey mould, Botrytis cinerea, on grapes, tomato and potted plants (Farber et al 2006), but is limited to pathogens that require nutrients to grow and infect the plant. For other pathogens that penetrate the leaf rapidly and do not require nutrients from the leaf surface, enhancing rates of mycoparasitism could be more effective and this has been used to successfully control powdery mildew on grapes in coastal California (Farber et al 2006).…”

“…This approach shows promise for controlling grey mould, Botrytis cinerea, on grapes, tomato and potted plants (Farber et al 2006), but is limited to pathogens that require nutrients to grow and infect the plant. For other pathogens that penetrate the leaf rapidly and do not require nutrients from the leaf surface, enhancing rates of mycoparasitism could be more effective and this has been used to successfully control powdery mildew on grapes in coastal California (Farber et al 2006). The bacterial disease fireblight on apple and pear, caused by Erwinia amylovora, is also controlled by increased populations of Pseudomonas flourescens on the leaf surface when applied as a spray or disseminated by honeybees prior to bloom (Wilson 1977).…”

How can we restore biodiversity and ecosystem services in mining and industrial sites?

“…Ecological restoration aims at increasing the biodiversity and ecosystem functions or services (Whisenant 1999;Farber et al 2006). Ecosystem services targeted initially in post-mining and post-industrial sites are related to soil physical characteristics, such as erosion control, water filtration, and the improvement of the micro-and mesoclimate, which are prerequisites for the establishment of permanent vegetation.…”