General information on economic valuation of environmental/ecosystem services
Ecosystem Services Valuation Database (ESVD)
· “...developed with the long-term goal of providing robust and easily accessible information on the
economic benefits of ecosystems and biodiversity, and the costs of their loss, to support decision
making regarding nature conservation, ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management.
The focus of the ESVD is to gather information on economic welfare values related to ecosystem
services measured in monetary units. By communicating such values in monetary units, we provide
recognisable information that can be used to internalise the importance of Nature in decision making.
The ESVD currently contains 10,874 value records from over 1100 studies distributed across all biomes,
ecosystem services and geographic regions. Our repository of valuation studies contains over 2000
studies and the number is growing continuously so the number of value records in the ESVD will
increase over time.”
· Published in 2000.
· “...This website describes how economists value the beneficial ways that ecosystems benefit people...”
· “LandPKS stands for Land Potential Knowledge System. Land potential is defined as the inherent,
long-term potential of the land to sustainably generate ecosystem services. Land Potential at any
location depends on the type of soil, topography, and climate.”
· “...an EU Horizon 2020-funded three-year campaign (November 2018 –October 2021). The campaign is
supporting businesses and the natural capital community to make valuing nature the new normal for
businesses across Europe.”
Definitions & overviews of ecosystem services
· Numerous other definitions can be found under the Institutions listed below.
Ecosystem services @ Biodiversity Information System for Europe
Ecosystem services @ Encyclopedia Britannica
Ecosystem services @ GreenFacts
Ecosystem services @ Wikipedia
Nature's contributions to people @ IPBES glossary
· Link is to a search-result containing six different definitions of NCP
What are natural capital and ecosystems services? @ Land Use Consultants (LUC) [UK]
Classification systems for ecosystem services & NCPs
Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES)
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem Services (MAES) @ BISE
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA)
· Conceptual framework can be found on page vi in the Summary report
National Ecosystem Services Classification System (NESCS) Plus
System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA)
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)
Periodicals
Institutions
~ Focal international organizations & initiatives ~
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net)
IPBES ~ Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
· Open-Ended Network of IPBES Stakeholders (ONet)
~ General international organizations & initiatives ~
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
· "The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was called for by the United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan in 2000. Initiated in 2001, the objective of the MA was to assess the consequences of
ecosystem change for human well-being and the scientific basis for action needed to enhance the
conservation and sustainable use of those systems and their contribution to human well-being. The
MA has involved the work of more than 1,360 experts worldwide. Their findings, contained in five
technical volumes and six synthesis reports, provide a state-of-the-art scientific appraisal of the condition
and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide (such as clean water, food, forest
products, flood control, and natural resources) and the options to restore, conserve or enhance the
sustainable use of ecosystems."
FAO ~ Food & Agriculture Organization
· Ecosystem services & Biodiversity
· Report: A Gateway to payments for ecosystem services
· Payment for Ecosystem Services
UN Environment Programme ~ World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)
National Ecosystem Assessment Initiative (NEA Initiative)
Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP/GEF Project: Project for Ecosystem Services (ProEcoServ)
~ Government agencies (USA in following section) ~
Canada
European Union
Biodiversity Information System for Europe
Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES)
SELINA ~ Science for Evidence-based and sustainabLe decisIons about Natural capital
UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UKNEA)
USA
Center for Pollinator Conservation
US Forest Service (USFS) → Ecosystem services
Federal Resource Management and Ecosystem Services Guidebook
National Ecosystem Services Classification System (NESCS) Plus
~ NGOs & initiatives ~
· “Our ambition is that by 2030 the majority of businesses, financial institutions and governments will
include the value of natural capital, social capital and human capital in their decision-making and
that this will deliver a fairer, just and more sustainable world.”
Ecosystems Marketplace @ Forest Trends
Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP)
· Ecosystem Services Valuation Database
· "Worldwide network to enhance the science, policy and practice of ecosystem services for
conservation and sustainable development"
The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity (TEEB)
· "...a global initiative focused on 'making nature’s values visible'. Its principal objective is to
mainstream the values of biodiversity and ecosystem services into decision-making at all levels.
It aims to achieve this goal by following a structured approach to valuation that helps decision-
makers recognize the wide range of benefits provided by ecosystems and biodiversity,
demonstrate their values in economic terms and, where appropriate, capture those values in
decision-making."
National Ecosystem Services Partnership [US]
· “...an initiative of Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and was
developed with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and donations of expertise
and time from many public and private institutions.”
· Federal Resource Management and Ecosystem Services Guidebook
Deliberative Monetary Valuation (DMV)
DMV protocol resources @ Yorkshire Integrated Catchment Solutions Programme (iCASP)
DMV @ Sustainability Directory
Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES)
PES @ Farm and Energy Initiative
PES @ Wikipedia
PES Database @ GEF
· Landing page available but link to database nonfunctional as of May 2022.
Payment of Environmental Services Program @ Costa Rica
Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP/GEF Project: Project for Ecosystem Services (ProEcoServ) @ UNEP
Reports:
· Fripp, Emily. 2014. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES)
Subtitle: A practical guide to assessing the feasibility of PES projects. CIFOR
· Smith, Steven, et al. 2013. Payments for ecosystem services: A best practice guide. DEFRA.
Pollination
· See Hymenoptera
Center for Pollinator Conservation
Chattanooga Area Pollinator Partnership [Tennessee, USA]
Insect Pollinators Initiative [UK]
Pollinator conservation @ USGS
Watersheds
Watershed Markets @ IIED
· Last update 2012
Bibliographies & documents
Selected References on Ecosystem Services @ Duke Nicholas Institute
US Army Corps of Engineers. 1972. Charles River, Massachusetts: Main report & attachments. Deptartment of the Army, New England Division. [link to pdf]
Select readings on “ecosystem disservices”
Blanco, Julien, et al. 2019. Ecosystem disservices matter: Towards their systematic integration within ecosystem service research and policy. Ecosystem Services 36, 100913.
Döhren, Peer von, & Dagmar Haase. 2015. Ecosystem disservices research: A review of the state of the art with a focus on cities. Ecological Indicators 52, 490-497.
Dunn, Robert R. 2010. Global Mapping of Ecosystem Disservices: The Unspoken Reality that Nature Sometimes Kills us. Biotropica 42, no. 5: 555-557.
Shackleton, C. M., S. et al. 2016. Unpacking Pandora’s Box: Understanding and Categorising Ecosystem Disservices for Environmental Management and Human Wellbeing. Ecosystems 19, no. 4: 587-600.
Wu, Shuyao, et al.. 2021. Classifying ecosystem disservices and valuating their effects: A case study of Beijing, China. Ecological Indicators 129, 107977.
Yam, RS, et al. 2015. An ecosystem-service approach to evaluate the role of non-native species in urbanized wetlands. Int J Environ Res Public Health 12, no. 4: 3926-3943.
Contents below:
· General information on economic valuation of environmental/ecosystem services
· Definitions & overviews of ecosystem services
· Classification systems for ecosystem services & NCPs
· Periodicals
· Institutions:
~ Focal international organizations & initiatives
~ General international organizations & initiatives
~ NGOs & initiatives
· Deliberative Monetary Valuation (DMV)
· Payments for ecosystem services (PES)
· Watersheds
· Select readings on “ecosystem disservices”
Also see:
Biodiversity valuation, ecosystem services, NCPs & natural capital
Key acronyms
DMV ~ Deliberative Monetary Valuation
ES ~ Ecosystem services
NC ~ Natural capital
NCPs ~ Nature's Contributions to People
PES ~ Payments for ecosystem services