Valuation of Ecosystem Services: Classes of Values

Summary

This script discusses the concept of ecosystem services, focusing on forests as a case study. It outlines five classes of services: direct benefits like wood harvesting and recreation, indirect benefits such as water filtration and pollination, bequest values reflecting cultural and future generational importance, existence values like the Amazon rainforest's biodiversity, and option values for potential future uses. The script emphasizes the importance of quantifying these services for decision-making, despite the challenges in assessing non-use values and indirect benefits.

Takeaways

• 🌳 Ecosystem services refer to the benefits humans derive from nature, such as forests, which offer various types of ecosystem services.
• 🪵 Direct benefits include using resources from forests, such as harvesting wood, water, and animals, or recreational activities like hiking and fishing.
• 🌊 Indirect benefits come from the ecosystem's influence on other services, such as forests improving water quality, reducing erosion, or helping to mitigate natural disasters.
• 🐝 Pollination, water retention, and temperature regulation are examples of indirect ecosystem services that humans may not directly interact with but still benefit from.
• 🦅 The decline of species like vultures can disrupt ecosystem services, highlighting how indirect services like sanitary carcass disposal may be underappreciated until they're lost.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Bequest values represent non-use values where people derive satisfaction from leaving natural resources, like forests, to future generations.
• 🐋 Existence value is another non-use value, where people gain satisfaction simply from knowing something exists, such as rainforests or endangered species, even if they don't interact with them.
• 🏞️ Option values represent the value of preserving the option to use a resource in the future, like keeping a forest available for potential hiking or logging.
• 💸 Total economic value consists of all the different types of values — direct, indirect, non-use, and option — that a forest or ecosystem can provide.
• 🔍 In practice, assessing the total economic value of an ecosystem is complex, so decision-makers focus on the most relevant changes when planning.

Q & A

What are ecosystem services?

Ecosystem services are the benefits that humans receive from the environment, such as food, water, climate regulation, and recreational opportunities.

How many classes of ecosystem services are mentioned in the script?

The script mentions five classes of ecosystem services: direct benefits, indirect benefits, bequest values, existence values, and option values.

What is an example of a direct benefit from a forest ecosystem?

Examples of direct benefits from a forest ecosystem include harvesting wood, taking water, hunting or trapping animals, and recreational activities like hiking, fishing, camping, or enjoying scenic views.

How do indirect benefits differ from direct benefits?

Indirect benefits are utilities that we gain from ecosystem services without directly consuming the resource. Examples include water purification by wetlands, soil filtration by forests, and storm protection by mangroves.

What is an example of an indirect use value from a forest ecosystem?

An example of an indirect use value from a forest ecosystem is the role of trees in sequestering carbon, which helps reduce the greenhouse effect.

What are bequest values in the context of ecosystem services?

Bequest values refer to the non-use value that people place on preserving ecosystems for future generations, such as leaving a wetland rather than a parking lot for children or future generations.

What is existence value and how does it relate to ecosystem services?

Existence value is the utility people gain from knowing that a certain ecosystem or species exists, even if they never directly interact with it. It is a non-use value that contributes to the overall economic value of an ecosystem.

Can you explain option values in the context of ecosystem services?

Option values represent the potential future use of an ecosystem service. It is the willingness to pay to keep an ecosystem intact for possible future use, such as the option to use a forest for hiking or timber extraction in the future.

Why is it important to quantify the value of ecosystem services?

Quantifying the value of ecosystem services helps decision-makers understand the total economic value of ecosystems and can inform policies and management practices to protect and conserve them.

What is the significance of biodiversity in ecosystem services?

Biodiversity is significant in ecosystem services because it contributes to the variety and resilience of these services. It can also be a source of new pharmaceuticals and genetic resources for agriculture.

How does the script illustrate the importance of indirect benefits that we might not appreciate until they're gone?

The script uses the example of vultures in India, which provided a sanitary carcass disposal service. When their population dropped due to an anti-inflammatory drug, it led to pollution of water supplies and an increase in disease-carrying animals, highlighting the importance of indirect benefits.