Chapter 29 The Economics of Biodiversity

Stephen Polasky, Christopher Costello, Andrew Solow

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

The conservation of biodiversity is a major environmental issue, one that promises to remain at or near the top of the environmental agenda for the foreseeable future. The loss of biodiversity affects human welfare as well as being lamentable for its own sake. Humans depend on natural systems to produce a wide variety of ecosystem goods and services, ranging from direct use of certain species for food or medicines to ecosystem functions that provide water purification, nutrient retention or climate regulation. Threats to biodiversity include habitat loss and fragmentation, the introduction of nonindigenous species, over-harvesting, pollution, changes in geochemical cycles and climate change. Sustaining biodiversity in the face of increasing human populations and increased human economic activity promises to be a major challenge. Economists have an important role to play in helping to develop and evaluate conservation strategies. Because biodiversity is at risk in large part because of human activity, finding ways to conserve biodiversity will come from better understanding and management of human affairs, not from better biology alone. Economists can help set priorities to allocate scarce conservation resources where they will do the most good. Economists can help design incentive schemes to make conservation policy both effective and efficient. Economic methods can shed light on what are the most valuable components of biodiversity, including analysis of species existence value, the value of bioprospecting and the value of ecosystem services.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationEconomywide and International Environmental Issues
EditorsKarl-Goran Maler, Jeffrey Vincent
Pages1517-1560
Number of pages44
DOIs
StatePublished - 2005

Publication series

NameHandbook of Environmental Economics
Volume3
ISSN (Print)1574-0099

Keywords

  • biodiversity measures
  • conservation policy
  • ecosystem services
  • habitat conservation
  • valuation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Chapter 29 The Economics of Biodiversity'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this