Ecosystem Services

I think that ecosystem services will always be looked at with a context of potential economic benefit even if this view might not always be optimal from a conservation point of view. Ecosystems provide us with a variety of services which in turn lead to economic benefits so therefore economic value will continue to be part of the equation without a major global shift away from capitalism. I think that using the idea that ecosystems provide benefits to humans and society is important incentive to preserve ecosystems in todays world. However instead of thinking about dollar values of ecosystems, we should also consider the value they provide from a broader perspective. Ecosystem services can provide value to human well being without having a high dollar value. Furthermore ecosystems are so interconnected that preserving services means preserving the entire surrounding ecosystem. One example of this is using reforestation as a solution to help resolve the overgrowth of plants in the Panama Canal to keep it open for trade to take place. I think governments should be responsible for preserving ecosystem services and in tern ecosystems. This could be both large scale such as the Panama Canal example, and small scale such as the city of Vancouver preserving marine ecosystems at the beach with rising sea levels. This means that different levels of governments should either higher or take input from ecologists who focus on how to best preserve ecosystems. This would help lead to new innovative solutions and in tern benefit both the general public and environment. Legislation is needed to help allocate funding and resources and to ensure no ecosystems are overlooked.