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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Portland State University

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Ecosystem services -- Valuation

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Evidence-Based Causal Chains For Linking Health, Development, And Conservation Actions, Jiangxiao Qiu, Edward Game, Heather Tallis, Lydia Olander, Louise Glew, James S. Kagan, Multiple Additional Authors Mar 2018

Evidence-Based Causal Chains For Linking Health, Development, And Conservation Actions, Jiangxiao Qiu, Edward Game, Heather Tallis, Lydia Olander, Louise Glew, James S. Kagan, Multiple Additional Authors

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Sustainability challenges for nature and people are complex and interconnected, such that effective solutions require approaches and a common theory of change that bridge disparate disciplines and sectors. Causal chains offer promising approaches to achieving an integrated understanding of how actions affect ecosystems, the goods and services they provide, and ultimately, human well-being. Although causal chains and their variants are common tools across disciplines, their use remains highly inconsistent, limiting their ability to support and create a shared evidence base for joint actions. In this article, we present the foundational concepts and guidance of causal chains linking disciplines and sectors …


Benefit Relevant Indicators: Ecosystem Services Measures That Link Ecological And Social Outcomes, Lydia Olander, Robert J. Johnston, Heather Tallis, James S. Kagan, Lynn A. Maguire, Stephen Polasky, Dean Urban, James Boyd, Lisa Wainger, Margaret A. Palmer Feb 2018

Benefit Relevant Indicators: Ecosystem Services Measures That Link Ecological And Social Outcomes, Lydia Olander, Robert J. Johnston, Heather Tallis, James S. Kagan, Lynn A. Maguire, Stephen Polasky, Dean Urban, James Boyd, Lisa Wainger, Margaret A. Palmer

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

There is a growing movement in government, environmental non-governmental organizations and the private sector to include ecosystem services in decision making. Adding ecosystem services into assessments implies measuring how much a change in ecological conditions affects people, social benefit, or value to society. Despite consensus around the general merit of accounting for ecosystem services, systematic guidance on what to measure and how is lacking. Current ecosystem services assessments often resort to biophysical proxies (e.g., area of wetland in a floodplain) or even disregard services that seem difficult to measure. Valuation, an important tool for assessing trade-offs and comparing outcomes, is …