Revised and fully updated, this textbook provides a detailed yet
accessible introduction to the key aspects of ecosystem services.
Ecosystem services is one of the most powerful guiding principles for
ecology, biodiversity conservation and the management of natural
resources. It provides the basis of assessing the multiple values and
services that ecosystems can provide to humankind, including diverse
issues such as carbon sequestration, flood control, crop pollination and
aesthetic and cultural services. The second edition of Ecosystem
Services: Key Issues has been fully revised and updated to address
policy and scientific developments, as well as new and emerging issues,
such as nature-based solutions, zoonotic diseases and environmental
justice. It includes new and updated case studies from across the world
and each chapter contains further reading, learning objectives and
discussion questions to aid student learning. The book details the
historical roots of ecosystem services in the second half of the
twentieth century, through initiatives such as the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment, The Common International Classification of Ecosystem
Services (CICES) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
It shows how ecosystem goods and services can be categorised and valued
in economic as well as non-monetary terms, while also highlighting some
of the difficulties and limitations of valuation techniques. The author
describes how themes such as systems thinking, social-ecological
resilience and natural capital relate to ecosystem services, and how
these can contribute to more sustainable and equitable development.
This book will be essential reading for students and scholars of
ecosystem services, ecology, environmental science, biodiversity
conservation, environmental economics, natural resource management and
sustainable development. It will also be of use to professionals and
policymakers who are looking to integrate ecosystems and their services
into their decision making processes.
