Journal ArticleDOI
The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital
Robert Costanza,Rudolf de Groot,Stephen Farberk,Monica Grasso,Bruce Hannon,Karin E. Limburg,Shahid Naeem,José M. Paruelo,Robert Raskin,Paul Suttonkk,Marjan van den Belt +10 more
TLDR
In this paper, the authors have estimated the current economic value of 17 ecosystem services for 16 biomes, based on published studies and a few original calculations, for the entire biosphere, the value (most of which is outside the market) is estimated to be in the range of US$16-54 trillion (10^(12)) per year, with an average of US $33 trillion per year.Abstract:
The services of ecological systems and the natural capital stocks that produce them are critical to the functioning of the Earth's life-support system. They contribute to human welfare, both directly and indirectly, and therefore represent part of the total economic value of the planet. We have estimated the current economic value of 17 ecosystem services for 16 biomes, based on published studies and a few original calculations. For the entire biosphere, the value (most of which is outside the market) is estimated to be in the range of US$16-54 trillion (10^(12)) per year, with an average of US$33 trillion per year. Because of the nature of the uncertainties, this must be considered a minimum estimate. Global gross national product total is around US$18 trillion per year.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
How to value biodiversity in environmental management
TL;DR: In this article, the authors take a decision-analytic stand and discuss the alternative aspects of biodiversity valuation by dividing them into three categories: socio-cultural, economic, and ecological indicator approaches.
Journal ArticleDOI
Fishing disturbance and marine biodiversity : role of habitat structure in simple soft-sediment systems
Simon F. Thrush,Judi E. Hewitt,Greig A. Funnell,Vonda J. Cummings,Joanne I. Ellis,Diane Schultz,Drew Talley,Alf Norkko +7 more
TL;DR: This result suggests that removal of habitat structure in relatively low-structure soft-sediment systems will significantly decrease their biodiversity, and consequently that of the wider marine ecosystem.
Journal ArticleDOI
Environmental vulnerability indicators for environmental planning and decision-making: guidelines and applications.
Ferdinando Villa,Helena McLEOD +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss models and theoretical frameworks for obtaining an approximate, standardizable vulnerability indicator of minimal subjectivity and maximum generality, and discuss issues of empirical testing and comparability between indicators developed for different environments.
Journal ArticleDOI
Visualization, modelling and prediction in soil microbiology
TL;DR: The need for the convergence of the experimental and theoretical approaches that are used to characterize and model the development of microbial communities in soils is advocated.
Book ChapterDOI
Land use functions — a multifunctionality approach to assess the impact of land use changes on land use sustainability
Marta Pérez-Soba,Sandrine Petit,Laurence Jones,Nathalie Bertrand,Vincent Briquel,Luigi Omodei-Zorini,Caterina Contini,Katharina Helming,John Farrington,Maria Tinacci Mossello,Dirk Wascher,Felix Kienast,Rudolf de Groot +12 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual framework is proposed to assess the impact of policies on land sustainability at various levels of spatial aggregation, i.e., the Land Use Functions (LUFs) framework.
References
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Book
Using surveys to value public goods : the contingent valuation method
TL;DR: Mitchell and Carson as discussed by the authors argue that at this time the contingent valuation (CV) method offers the most promising approach for determining public willingness to pay for many public goods, an approach likely to succeed, if used carefully, where other methods may fail.
Journal ArticleDOI
Nature's services: societal dependence on natural ecosystems.
TL;DR: Nature's Services brings together world-renowned scientists from a variety of disciplines to examine the character and value of ecosystem services, the damage that has been done to them, and the consequent implications for human society.
Book
For The Common Good: Redirecting The Economy Towards Community, The Environment And A Sustainable Future
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that the scale of human activity in the biosphere has grown too large and that change is needed in the approach to economic activity: "correction and expansion a more empirical and historical attitude less pretense on being science and willingness to subordinate the market to purposes that it is not geared to determine."
Journal ArticleDOI
Primary production required to sustain global fisheries
Daniel Pauly,Villy Christensen +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the mean of reported annual world fisheries catches for 1988-1991 (94.3 million t) was split into 39 species groups, to which fractional trophic levels, ranging from 1.0 (edible algae) to 4.2 (tunas), were assigned, based on 48 published Trophic models, providing a global coverage of six major aquatic ecosystem types.
Journal ArticleDOI
Natural Capital and Sustainable Development
Robert Costanza,Herman E. Daly +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a minimum necessary condition for sustainability is the maintenance of the total natural capital stock at or above the current level, to be relaxed only when solid evidence can be offered that it is safe to do so.