Description: |
As the natural resources on which human society depends are depleted, the need for sound conservation policies increases. The course examines a new approach in conservation biology that identifies and places economic value on the services that natural ecosystems provide. Such services are basic to sustainable societies and include clean water and air, waste decomposition, pollination and farm land productivity. Major themes the course covers include an overview of other approaches in conservation biology, a review of the services that ecosystems provide, ways the value of these services are determined, and how this novel approach is influencing economic and political policy at local, national, and international levels. |