by Marion Potschin (Editor), Roy Haines-Young (Editor), Robert Fish (Editor)

The idea that nature provides services to people is one of the most powerful concepts to have emerged over the last two decades. It is shaping our understanding of the role that biodiverse ecosystems play in the environment and their benefits for humankind. As a result, there is a growing interest in operational and methodological issues surrounding ecosystem services amongst environmental managers, and many institutions are now developing teaching programmes to equip the next generation with the skills needed to apply the concepts more effectively.

This handbook provides a comprehensive reference text on ecosystem services, integrating natural and social science (including economics). Collectively the chapters, written by the world's leading authorities, demonstrate the importance of biodiversity for people, policy and practice. They also show how the value of ecosystems to society can be expressed in monetary and non-monetary terms, so that the environment can be better taken into account in decision making. The significance of the ecosystem service paradigm is that it helps us redefine and better communicate the relationships between people and nature. It is shown how these are essential to resolving challenges such as sustainable development and poverty reduction, and the creation of a green economy in developing and developed world contexts.

Author Biography

Marion Potschin is a Principal Research Fellow and Director of the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of Nottingham, UK.

Roy Haines-Young is Emeritus Professor at the Centre for Environmental Management, School of Geography, University of Nottingham, UK.

Robert Fish is Reader in Human Ecology in the School of Anthropology and Conservation at the University of Kent, UK.

R. Kerry Turner is a Professorial Fellow in the School of Environmental Sciences and former Professor of Environmental Economics and Management at the University of East Anglia, UK.