Beyond ecosystem services: valuing the invaluable

Gunton, R.M.; van Asperen, E.; Basden, A.; Bookless, D.; Araya, Y.; Hanson, D.R.; Goddard, M.A.; Otieno, G.; Jones, G.O.

Abstract

The ecosystem services framework (ESF) is advantageous and widely used for itemising and quantifying ways in which humans benefit from natural places. However, it suffers from two important problems: (i) incoherence of definitions and (ii) a narrow approach to valuation, inadequate to represent the full range of human motives for conservation and the diverse interests of different stakeholders. These shortcomings can lead to a range of problems including double-counting, blind spots and unintended consequences. In this opinion article, we propose an ecosystem valuing framework as a broader and more rigorous way to deliver the benefits currently sought from the ESF, without the conceptual problems.

Citation

Gunton, R., van Asperen, E., Basden, A., Bookless, D., Araya, Y., Hanson, D., …Jones, G. (2017). Beyond ecosystem services: valuing the invaluable. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 32(4), 249-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2017.01.002

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 11, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Apr 1, 2017
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jan 19, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 1, 2018
• Journal: Trends in Ecology and Evolution
• Print ISSN: 0169-5347
• Publisher: Cell Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 249-257
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2017.01.002