It is vital that we adopt interdisciplinary approaches such as ecological economics to gain an understanding of the values that determine human interaction with, and use and abuse of, the environment. This book is a model of applied ecological economics. It presents an accessible introduction to the subject while at the same time broadening its theoretical basis by introducing a post-positivist, participatory method. The theoretical framework is applied to case studies in biodiversity conservation, drawn from around the world and a range of different ecosystems. The book is a suitable textbook for students of ecological economics and an ideal introduction for scientists and environmentalists needing to understand the role of economics in ecology and conservation.

Human induced biodiversity loss is greater now than at any time in human history, with extinctions occurring at rates hundreds of times higher than background extinction levels. The field of biodiversity economics analyses the socio-economic causes of and solutions to biodiversity loss by combining the disciplines of economics, ecology and biology. This field has shown a remarkable degree of transformation over the past four decades and now incorporates the analysis of the entire diversity of biological resources within the living world. Biodiversity Economics presents a series of papers that show how bio-economic analysis can be applied to the examination and evaluation of the problem of various forms of biodiversity loss. Containing insightful bio-economic research by some of prominent practitioners in the field, this volume will be an essential research tool to those working on biodiversity issues in the academic, policy and private sectors.

Human well-being relies critically on ecosystem services provided by nature. Examples include water and air quality regulation, nutrient cycling and decomposition, plant pollination and flood control, all of which are dependent on biodiversity. They are predominantly public goods with limited or no markets and do not command any price in the conventional economic system, so their loss is often not detected and continues unaddressed and unabated. This in turn not only impacts human well-being, but also seriously undermines the sustainability of the economic system. It is against this background that TEEB: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity project was set up in 2007 and led by the United Nations Environment Programme to provide a comprehensive global assessment of economic aspects of these issues. This book, written by a team of international experts, represents the scientific state of the art, providing a comprehensive assessment of the fundamental ecological and economic principles of measuring and valuing ecosystem services and biodiversity, and showing how these can be mainstreamed into public policies. This volume and subsequent TEEB outputs will provide the authoritative knowledge and guidance to drive forward the biodiversity conservation agenda for the next decade.

Originally published in 1994, Paradise Lost? is the outcome of a unique collaboration between economists and ecologists initiated by the Beijer Institute of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The book examines how the loss of biodiversity is one of the most serious problems the world faces, and suggests that new, interdisciplinary thinking is required to safeguard both us and the biosphere from the effects of species extinction. The book examines how an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to the conservation of biodiversity can understand and tackle the issue. It provides an overview of the causes of the problem, and examines previous approaches to dealing with it. The book also addresses how the loss of biodiversity affects natural systems and provides an examination of environmental policy, while discussing how this has been affected by the ecological limits to economic activity. This book will be of interest to both academics and students of environmental sciences, economics and politics.

This Handbook provides an overview of major current debates, trends and perspectives in ecological economics. It covers a wide range of issues, such as the foundations of ecological economics, deliberative methods, the de-growth movement, ecological macroeconomics, social metabolism, environmental governance, consumer studies, knowledge systems and new experimental approaches. Written by leading authors in their respective areas of specialisation, the contributions systematize the “state of the art” in the selected topics, and draw insights about new knowledge frontiers.

'Perrings' book is a well edited, and presented, integrated work based upon nine of his articles and book chapters published between 1989 and 1995.' - Clive L. Spash, Environmental Values Economics of Ecological Resources presents new or recently published work on ecological economies, sustainability, poverty, resource degradation and decision-making under uncertainty. The book explores the allocation of resources in jointly determined ecological-economic systems. An introductory chapter examines the work of other major contributors to the field of ecological economics and introduces Professor Perrings's work and the material in this volume. The first of three parts is concerned with the dynamics of joint systems and with the implications for the control and conservation of ecological resources. The second part focuses on the conditioning effect of the economic environment on private decisions in low income resource-dependent economies. The final part considers the way that decision makers handle the uncertainty that is an integral feature of the evolution of the ecological-economic system.

The Economics of the Environment and Natural Resourcescovers the essential topics students need to understandenvironmental and resource problems and their possible solutions.Its unique lecture format provides an in-depth exploration ofdiscrete topics, ideal for upper-level undergraduate, graduate ordoctoral study. Each chapter depicts the key theoretical insights,major issues, and real-life problems that motivate the subject. Inaddition, the chapters feature practical applications and casestudies, a list of annotated further reading, and extensivereferences. Offers broad treatment of issues in Environmental and ResourceEconomics. Provides in-depth exploration of a wide range of topics withits unique lecture format. Depicts key theoretical insights, major issues, and real-lifeproblems for each subject. Features case studies, annotated further reading, extensivereferences, and a detailed glossary.

This comprehensive Dictionary brings together an extensive range of definitive terms in ecological economics. Assembling contributions from distinguished scholars, it provides an intellectual map to this evolving subject ranging from the practical to the philosophical.

Economic forces underlie and explain much biodiversity degradation and loss, and economic instruments provide a useful set of tools for strengthening biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and equitable benefit sharing. If National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans are to be effective they must be justifiable in economic terms. This document reports on a project reviewing the use of economic measures in NBSAPs, It brings together the component activities of the economics review, and summarizes and synthesizes this information to provide guidance on experiences, lessons learned and ways forward in the use of economic measures.

In this open access book, ecological economics and political ecology traditions converge into a single academic school. The book constitutes a common ground where multiple and critical voices are expressed, covering a broad scope of urgent matters at the crossroad between society, economy and the natural environment. The manuscripts composing this compendium offer appealing material for both experienced and younger researchers interested in interdisciplinary exchanges in the field of the social environmental sciences. It combines historical accounts with recent theoretical and empirical developments revolving around the interaction between three foundational notions of the Barcelona School: social metabolism, environmental justice and self-reflective science.