Treesearch
Opportunities for systematically valuing ecosystem service benefits produced by federal conservation programs
| Authors: | Tom Holmes |
| Year: | 2020 |
| Type: | Scientific Journal |
| Station: | Southern Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1017/age.2020.8 |
| Source: | Agricultural and Resource Economics Review |
Download (PDF 180 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/60151.pdf
Abstract
During the early years of the 20th century, as biologists strove to discover the processes governing plant succession, it was argued that a fundamental understanding would emerge not only by considering the suite of dynamic interactions among organisms but by expanding the conceptualization to include the influence of non-living factors contributed by climatic and soil complexes. This broader, integrative framework was described as an ecosystem (Tansley 1935). Nearly a century later, the ecosystem concept is recognized as an essential framework for assessing the long-run sustainability of natural capital within the United States (Anon. 2008) and around the world (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005).