Primarily, ecosystem services are the benefits that nature provides to human beings. Although the term is quite new, it is apparent that human beings have a close connection to the natural environment. In fact, people would not have access to clean drinking water or air to breathe without health ecosystem. The environment provides critical ecosystem services and goods that are essential for proper functioning of the society and economy (Balmford, et al. 45). One of the trending topics in the science of conservation is the economic benefits of the natural ecosystem. If scientists can identify the ecosystem services and quantify the economic benefits, decision makers would recognize the folly that results from destruction of environmental resources (Jacobs, et al. 34). As a result, they would implement effective strategies to safeguard the natural resources. Therefore, policy makers should enlighten the public on the importance of ethics and aesthetics of environmental conservation.
Ecosystem services have an economic value that relates to improvement on the life of human beings and other environmental species. For instance, the ecological unit plays a significant role in agricultural activities and tourism. Besides, bionetworks provide services and resources, which enhance the economic life of different groups in the population (McCauley 67). Predominantly, biodiversity hotspots provide benefits at the local, national, and international levels. Nevertheless, climate change, globalization, and population growth exert pressure on the available resources in the environment.
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Apparently, assigning economic value to the ecosystem resources is one of the strategies to promote environmental conservation. The government and policy makers ought to recognize the capacity of wetlands to filter water and prevent soil erosion. The current period of economic hardships would be the most appropriate to promote awareness on the real economic value of the natural resources available on the environment (Rull 16). In most countries, half of the people in the population depends on the environmental resources for survival. Hence, economic valuation of the ecosystem services can be useful to enlighten the society on the need to preserve the available natural resources.
- Balmford, A., et al. “Economic Reasons for Conserving Wild Nature.” Science, vol. 297, no. 5583, 2002, pp. 950-953.
- Jacobs, Sander, et al. “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.” Ecosystem Services, 2014, pp. 29-40.
- McCauley, Douglas J. “Selling out on nature.” Nature, vol. 443, no. 7107, 2006, pp. 27-28.
- Rull, Valentí. “The candid approach.” EMBO reports, vol. 11, no. 1, 2010, pp. 14-17.
