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Are investments to promote biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services aligned?

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen Polasky
  • Kris Johnson
  • Bonnie Keeler
  • Kent Kovacs
  • Erik Nelson
  • Derric Pennington
  • Andrew J. Plantinga
  • John Withey

Abstract

The conservation community is divided over the proper objective for conservation, with one faction focused on ecosystem services that contribute to human well-being and another faction focused on the intrinsic value of biodiversity. Despite the underlying difference in philosophy, it is not clear that this divide matters in a practical sense of guiding what a conservation organization should do in terms of investing in conservation. In this paper we address the degree of alignment between ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation strategies, using data from the state of Minnesota, USA. Minnesota voters recently passed an initiative that provides approximately $171m annually in dedicated funding for conservation. We find a high degree of alignment between investing conservation funds to target the value of ecosystem services and investing them to target biodiversity conservation. Targeting one of these two objectives generates 47–70 per cent of the maximum score of the other objective. We also find that benefits of conservation far exceed the costs, with a return on investment of between 2 to 1 and 3 to 1 in our base-case analysis. In general, investing in conservation to increase the value of ecosystem services is also beneficial for biodiversity conservation, and vice-versa. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Polasky & Kris Johnson & Bonnie Keeler & Kent Kovacs & Erik Nelson & Derric Pennington & Andrew J. Plantinga & John Withey, 2012. "Are investments to promote biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services aligned?," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 28(1), pages 139-163, Spring.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:oxford:v:28:y:2012:i:1:p:139-163
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/oxrep/grs011
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    Cited by:

    1. Tikuye, Birhan Getachew & Gill, Laurence & Rusnak, Milos & Manjunatha, Busnur R., 2023. "Modelling the impacts of changing land use and climate on sediment and nutrient retention in Lake Tana Basin, Upper Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 482(C).
    2. Natalia Sajnóg & Katarzyna Sobolewska-Mikulska & Justyna Wójcik-Leń, 2019. "Methodology of Determination of the Range of Restrictions Related to the Existence of Transmission Devices on Private Land—Case Study of Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-21, July.
    3. Noe, Ryan R. & Nachman, Elizabeth R. & Heavenrich, Hannah R. & Keeler, Bonnie L. & Hernández, Daniel L. & Hill, Jason D., 2016. "Assessing uncertainty in the profitability of prairie biomass production with ecosystem service compensation," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(PA), pages 103-108.
    4. Pierre Mokondoko & Robert H Manson & Taylor H Ricketts & Daniel Geissert, 2018. "Spatial analysis of ecosystem service relationships to improve targeting of payments for hydrological services," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-27, February.
    5. Spangenberg, Joachim H. & Görg, Christoph & Settele, Josef, 2015. "Stakeholder involvement in ESS research and governance: Between conceptual ambition and practical experiences – risks, challenges and tested tools," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 201-211.
    6. Liwei Zhang & Yihe Lü & Bojie Fu & Yuan Zeng, 2017. "Uncertainties of Two Methods in Selecting Priority Areas for Protecting Soil Conservation Service at Regional Scale," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-12, September.
    7. Helen Kopnina, 2014. "Revisiting the ‘Trans-human’ Gestalt: Discussing ‘Nature’ and ‘Development’ with Students of Sustainable Business," Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, , vol. 8(1), pages 43-63, March.
    8. Abera, Wuletawu & Tamene, Lulseged & Kassawmar, Tibebu & Mulatu, Kalkidan & Kassa, Habtemariam & Verchot, Louis & Quintero, Marcela, 2021. "Impacts of land use and land cover dynamics on ecosystem services in the Yayo coffee forest biosphere reserve, southwestern Ethiopia," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).

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