Ecosystem Function And Human Activities

This innovative book examines a problem of growing concern and importance: obtaining accurate estimates of the ecological costs of human activities. The book covers a wide range of subjects, from the management and function of ecosystems to ecological issues affecting public policy. It focuses on the trade-offs inherent in environmental and conservation policy. Ecosystems provide resources that can be extracted and are valued in the market place, but the delivery of those resources depends on the functioning of natural processes whose maintenance may involve substantial costs.