ABSTRACT
The idea that nature provides services to people is one of the most powerful concepts to have emerged over the last two decades. It is shaping our understanding of the role that biodiverse ecosystems play in the environment and their benefits for humankind. As a result, there is a growing interest in operational and methodological issues surrounding ecosystem services amongst environmental managers, and many institutions are now developing teaching programmes to equip the next generation with the skills needed to apply the concepts more effectively.
This handbook provides a comprehensive reference text on ecosystem services, integrating natural and social science (including economics). Collectively the chapters, written by the world's leading authorities, demonstrate the importance of biodiversity for people, policy and practice. They also show how the value of ecosystems to society can be expressed in monetary and non-monetary terms, so that the environment can be better taken into account in decision making. The significance of the ecosystem service paradigm is that it helps us redefine and better communicate the relationships between people and nature. It is shown how these are essential to resolving challenges such as sustainable development and poverty reduction, and the creation of a green economy in developing and developed world contexts.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|108 pages
Ecosystem services concepts and frameworks – introduction
chapter 5|12 pages
Ecosystem Structures and Processes
chapter 10|4 pages
Economics and Ecosystem Services
part II|192 pages
Ecosystem services
part III|158 pages
Ecosystem services in an applied context – introduction
chapter 34|21 pages
The Importance of Grasslands in Providing Ecosystem Services
part IV|128 pages
Ecosystem services
chapter 49|11 pages
The Use of Ecosystem Services Knowledge in Policy-Making
part V|14 pages
Conclusion