Description
Book SynopsisEconomics and Ecosystems demonstrates how the concepts of economic efficiency, sustainability and equity can be applied in ecosystem management. The book presents an overview of these three concepts, a framework for their analysis and modeling, and three case studies. Specific attention is given to how complex ecosystem dynamics, such as thresholds or irreversible responses, influence ecosystem management options. The case studies focus on the ecosystem dynamics and ecosystem services supply in a hypothetical forest ecosystem, a Dutch wetland ecosystem, and a rangeland in the Western Sahel.
Integrating ecology and economics, this informative book will appeal to postgraduate students in environmental sciences and environmental economics as well as ecosystem managers.
Trade Review‘This is a book that sparks ideas. . . It will be useful for teaching: I will be recommending it to my ‘Economics for Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ class. . . The book is successful because it provides, not a framework, but something better: a path for the novice to follow; something that brings together the relevant considerations when judging environmental management options and policies.’ -- S.J. Ramsden, Experimental Agriculture
‘A central issue in economics is the optimal allocation of scarce resources. Is efficient allocation indeed optimal and does it lead to sustainable solutions? Lars Hein contributes to this discussion at the interface of ecology and economics, and provides interesting case studies to test various theoretical approaches. The book is a must for both economists with an interest in ecology and for ecologists with an interest in economics!’ -- Ekko van Ierland, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
Table of ContentsContents: Preface 1. Introduction 2. Ecological–Economic Concepts 3. A Quantitative Ecological–Economic Assessment Approach 4. Modelling the Efficiency and Sustainability of Forest Management 5. Case Study: Eutrophication Control in the De Wieden Wetland, The Netherlands 6. Case Study: Rangeland Management in the Ferlo, Senegal 7. Applying the Framework in Support of Environmental Management References Index
