Valuing Ecosystem Services: Toward Better Environmental Decision-making

Committee on Assessing and Valuing the the Services of Aquatic and Related Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council9780309093187, 030909318X

Nutrient recycling, habitat for plants and animals, flood control, and water supply are among the many beneficial services provided by aquatic ecosystems. In making decisions about human activities, such as draining a wetland for a housing development, it is essential to consider both the value of the development and the value of the ecosystem services that could be lost. Despite a growing recognition of the importance of ecosystem services, their value is often overlooked in environmental decision-making. This report identifies methods for assigning economic value to ecosystem services even intangible ones and calls for greater collaboration between ecologists and economists in such efforts.

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Table of contents :
Cover Page……Page 1
Title Page……Page 2
Copyright 2005 by the National Academy of Sciences……Page 3
Preface……Page 8
5 TRANSLATING ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS TO THE VALUE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: CASE STUDIES……Page 12
APPENDIXES……Page 13
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……Page 14
1 INTRODUCTION……Page 30
2 THE MEANING OF VALUE AND USE OF ECONOMIC VALUATION IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY DECISION-MAKING PROCESS……Page 46
3 AQUATIC AND RELATED TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS……Page 72
4 METHODS OF NONMARKET VALUATION……Page 108
5 TRANSLATING ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS TO THE VALUE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: CASE STUDIES……Page 166
6 JUDGMENT, UNCERTAINTY, AND VALUATION……Page 222
7 ECOSYSTEM VALUATION: SYNTHESIS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS……Page 252
A Summary of Related NRC Reports……Page 274
B Household Production Function Models……Page 279
C Production Function Models……Page 283
D Committee and Staff Biographical Information……Page 287