title: Valuing ecological systems and services.
abstract: Making trade-offs between ecological services and other contributors to human well-being is a difficult but critical process that requires valuation. This allows both better recognition of the ecological, social, and economic trade-offs and also allows us to bill those who use up or destroy ecological services and reward those that produce or enhance them. It also aids improved ecosystems policy. In this paper we clarify some of the controversies in defining the contributions to human well-being from functioning ecosystems, many of which people are not even aware of. We go on to describe the applicability of the various valuation methods that can be used in estimating the benefits of ecosystem services. Finally, we describe some recent case studies and lay out the research agenda for ecosystem services analysis, modeling, and valuation going forward.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Costanza
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kubiszewski
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ervin
authors.forename: Randy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bluffstone
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Darrell
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Heejun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dujon
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Granek
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polasky
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shandas
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yeakley