1st Edition
by Stephen Wratten (Editor), Harpinder Sandhu (Editor), Ross Cullen (Editor), Robert Costanza (Editor)
Ecosystem services are the
resources and processes supplied by natural ecosystems which benefit
humankind (for example, pollination of crops by insects, or water
filtration by wetlands). They underpin life on earth, provide major
inputs to many economic sectors and support our lifestyles. Agricultural
and urban areas are by far the largest users of ecosystems and their
services and (for the first time) this book explores the role that
ecosystem services play in these managed environments. The book also
explores methods of evaluating ecosystem services, and discusses how
these services can be maintained and enhanced in our farmlands and
cities. This book will be useful to students and researchers from a
variety of fields, including applied ecology, environmental economics,
agriculture and forestry, and also to local and regional planners and
policy makers.