Ecosystem services are the benefits that nature provides. Myriad assessments of the value of nature’s benefits are being conducted by public and private organizations, and they vary considerably in their coverage of ecological, social, and economic effects, and the rigor with which the values are assessed.
The 10 guiding principles in this document encourage interdisciplinary approaches to assessing the social, ecological, and economic benefits of ecosystems and biodiversity, and their interdependent relationships. Practitioners, resource managers, academics, policymakers, local communities and other stakeholders—including the environment—stand to benefit from a set of principles guiding the emerging approaches to assessments of ecosystem service values. Following these principles will lead to more comprehensive, credible and consistent assessments that can improve public and private decisions and the well-being of current and future generations.
This document reports on guiding principles developed at a collaborative multi-sector workshop held in July 2013 at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. The intended audience for these principles is individuals who make or influence natural resource decisions. They include policy makers at the local, state, and federal levels; natural resource agencies and tribes; non-profit organizations; academics and consultants who conduct ecological, social, and economic studies; and private businesses. This report can also provide context for conservation, business and trade organizations, the media, and interested, engaged citizens.
