A national-level indicator of ecosystem services would allowpolicy makers, scientists, and the public to understand whetherthe US is gaining or losing critical services.
An academic article in the journal of The Ecological Society of American suggests that national scale aggregate indicators of ecosystem services are useful for stimulating and supporting a broadpublic discussion about trends in the provision of these services. There are important considerationsinvolved in producing an aggregate indicator, including whether the scientific and technological capacityexists, how to address varying perceptions of the societal importance of different services, and how to communicateinformation about these services to both decision makers and the general public. Although thechallenges are formidable, they are not insurmountable. Quantification of ecosystem services and disseminationof information to decision makers and the public is critical for the responsible and sustainable managementof natural resources.
[Editor's note: The link below is to a 200KB PDF.]
Thanks to Planning Educators Listserv
FULL STORY: Aggregate measures of ecosystem services: can we take the pulse of nature?
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