Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- Introduction
- 1 Do we really care about biodiversity?
- Part I Causes of biodiversity loss
- Part II The value of biodiversity
- 9 Designing the legacy library of genetic resources: approaches, methods and results
- 10 Why the measurement of species diversity requires prior value judgements
- 11 Combining TCM and CVM of endangered species conservation programme: estimation of the marginal value of vultures (Gyps fulvus) in the presence of species–visitors interaction
- 12 Valuing ecological and anthropocentric concepts of biodiversity: a choice experiments application
- 13 Spatially explicit valuation with choice experiments – a case of multiple-use management of forest recreation sites
- Part III Policies for biodiversity conservation
- Part IV Managing agro-biodiversity: causes, values and policies
- Index
- References
10 - Why the measurement of species diversity requires prior value judgements
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- Introduction
- 1 Do we really care about biodiversity?
- Part I Causes of biodiversity loss
- Part II The value of biodiversity
- 9 Designing the legacy library of genetic resources: approaches, methods and results
- 10 Why the measurement of species diversity requires prior value judgements
- 11 Combining TCM and CVM of endangered species conservation programme: estimation of the marginal value of vultures (Gyps fulvus) in the presence of species–visitors interaction
- 12 Valuing ecological and anthropocentric concepts of biodiversity: a choice experiments application
- 13 Spatially explicit valuation with choice experiments – a case of multiple-use management of forest recreation sites
- Part III Policies for biodiversity conservation
- Part IV Managing agro-biodiversity: causes, values and policies
- Index
- References
Summary
Introduction
In the discussion about biodiversity loss and conservation (cf. Wilson 1988; McNeely et al. 1990; Watson et al. 1995; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005), the two issues of (i) quantitative measurement of biodiversity and (ii) its economic valuation play a major role. Concerning the first issue, there exists an extensive ecological literature (see, for example, Pielou 1975; Magurran 1988; Purvis and Hector 2000) to which, lately, economists have made important contributions (e.g. Solow et al. 1993; Weitzman 1992, 1993, 1998; Weikard 1998, 1999, 2002; Nehring and Puppe 2002, 2004). Concerning the second issue, there also exists an extensive and still growing literature (e.g. Hanley and Spash 1993; Pearce and Moran 1994; Smith 1996; Goulder and Kennedy 1997; Nunes and van den Bergh 2001; Freeman 2003).
The conventional wisdom on the relation between these two issues seems to be that the quantitative measurement of biodiversity is a value-free task which precedes the valuation of biodiversity. In contrast to this view, I shall argue in this chapter that the measurement of biodiversity requires prior value judgements about biodiversity and its role in ecological-economic systems. The argument proceeds as follows. Section 2 briefly discusses why and how biodiversity can be thought of as an economic good, so as to provide a background for the discussion of the measurement of biodiversity. Section 3 then surveys different ecological and economic measures of species diversity. A conceptual comparison of those reveals systematic differences between the two.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Biodiversity EconomicsPrinciples, Methods and Applications, pp. 293 - 310Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2007
References
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