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Beyond Ecosystem Services: Valuing the Invaluable

Richard M. Gunton*, Eline N. van Asperen, Andrew Basden, David Bookless, Yoseph Araya, David R. Hanson, Mark A. Goddard, George Otieno, Gareth O. Jones

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    62 Citations (Scopus)

    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.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)249-257
    Number of pages9
    JournalTrends in Ecology and Evolution
    Volume32
    Issue number4
    Early online date16 Feb 2017
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2017

    Keywords

    • aspectual analysis
    • cognitive
    • communal
    • ecological
    • ideological
    • multicriterion assessment
    • natural capital
    • value theory

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