Ecosystem services valuation comprises a suite of economic, biophysical, and integrated assessment methods used to quantify and monetize the benefits humans derive from ecosystems, such as provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services. Methodological approaches include market-based valuation (e.g., pricing of timber or fish), revealed-preference methods (e.g., travel cost, hedonic pricing), stated-preference techniques (e.g., contingent valuation, choice experiments), and cost-based methods (e.g., replacement, avoidance, restoration costs). These methods often integrate ecological production functions, spatial modeling, and scenario analysis to link ecological change to human welfare, supporting cost–benefit analysis, natural capital accounting, and policy impact assessments.
Wetlands in Hampton Roads are an important part of the ecosystem, and a new study attempts to quantify their worth to the community by calculating a monetary value.
Ecology
Sep 16, 2025
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14
When we walk into a forest, we often think less about the shade or the silence and more about the invisible work trees do—pulling carbon dioxide out of the air and storing it in their trunks, roots and soils. Forests are ...
Pollinators receive considerable interest due to their fundamental role in ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Unlike farmlands, studies of urban pollinator-promoting interventions have only started to grow rapidly ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 22, 2025
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33
A new study led by William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS shows that tidal marshes, including both natural wetlands and man-made living shorelines, generate approximately $90 million annually in economic value for communities ...
Environment
Aug 20, 2025
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36
The global scuba diving tourism industry generates up to around $20 billion US per year, finds a study published in Cell Reports Sustainability. This revenue helps boost local economies by employing local people and supports ...
Ecology
Jul 25, 2025
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44
A new study conducted at Reichman University's School of Sustainability presents an innovative tool to help decision-makers better understand the condition of streams and thereby advance their restoration and rehabilitation. ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 7, 2025
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24
An international research team led by the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) with the participation of the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen has taken a close look at reefs worldwide ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 20, 2025
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67
Land use change and the increased agrochemical use associated with agricultural intensification significantly alter farmland biodiversity and associated ecosystem services worldwide. Vineyards as ecologically, culturally, ...
Ecology
Jun 18, 2025
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30
One-third of the Earth's land surface is already degraded. The UN estimates that more than 2.6 billion people are harmed by land degradation, with countries losing up to US$10.6 trillion (£7.8 trillion) a year because of ...
Ecology
Jun 17, 2025
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22
As extreme weather intensifies globally, governments are seeking nature-based solutions that deliver both climate and economic benefits.
Environment
Jun 17, 2025
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22
