Biodiversity and ecosystem services: a multilayered relationship

• Published in: Trends in ecology & evolution (Amsterdam) Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 24 - 31
• Main Authors: Mace, Georgina M., Norris, Ken, Fitter, Alastair H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; biologists; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; ecologists; economists; Ecosystem; ecosystem management; ecosystem services; ecosystems; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Great Britain; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; United Kingdom; United Kingdom; Great Britain; British Isles; Biodiversity; Ecosystem services; Environmental protection
• ISSN: 0169-5347; 1872-8383; 1872-8383
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2011.08.006

The relationship between biodiversity and the rapidly expanding research and policy field of ecosystem services is confused and is damaging efforts to create coherent policy. Using the widely accepted Convention on Biological Diversity definition of biodiversity and work for the UK National Ecosystem Assessment we show that biodiversity has key roles at all levels of the ecosystem service hierarchy: as a regulator of underpinning ecosystem processes, as a final ecosystem service and as a good that is subject to valuation, whether economic or otherwise. Ecosystem science and practice has not yet absorbed the lessons of this complex relationship, which suggests an urgent need to develop the interdisciplinary science of ecosystem management bringing together ecologists, conservation biologists, resource economists and others.