## Column : Monetary Evaluation of Ecosystem Services

Robert Costanza, an American researcher, attempted to put monetary value on seventeen different ecosystem services. According to his paper, published in Nature magazine in 1997, the total value is estimated to be between 16 trillion and 54 trillion dollars per year (with a mean value of 33 trillion). This is one to three times as large as the global GDP of about 18 trillion dollars at that time.

Costanza added that this calculation could only be said to represent a minimum estimate due to nature’s many uncertainties, and he also mentioned that this value could well increase in the future as more facts about nature come to light.

## (3) Cultural services

“Cultural services” allow people to obtain mental satisfaction, aesthetic pleasure, a basis of religious or social systems, opportunities of recreation, etc.

In most cases, locally-grown religion and culture have close relationships with local biota and ecosystems in that region.

In East Asia, which belongs to the monsoon climate zone, civilization based on rice farming and related production activity evolved. This has created a traditional belief in the sacredness of forests and all of the life contained therein in the societies of the region due to the large reserves of water contained in forests. On the other hand, in West Asia and countries westward, where it does not rain much in summer, wheat farming and stock-raising represent the core of civilization; people are not negative about deforestation and such lifestyle influences their attitudes toward nature.

Some Japanese names for colors, especially traditional ones, are etymologically related to animals or plants, such as the “color of toki” (safrano pink) and the “color of moegi” (kind of onion with young buds). This tells of the close relationship between human culture and the natural environment as well as the significant contribution that unique regional characteristics (of animals, plants, seasons, etc.) lend to local cultures. The enjoyment of seasonally blooming flowers is another important way of appreciating our ecosystems’ gifts to our culture. “Ecotourism” is another example: it is based on recreational functions and educational effects of regional ecosystems and focuses on unique local landscapes or biota in a particular area. When we see regional cultures around the world, we realize that the local natural environment plays a significant role therein. For example, some ethnic costumes use a pattern of a native animal or plant and some regional food culture are greatly influenced by the nature in that region.

Thus, many regional cultures and religions are supported by ecosystems and biota in their region, and in this light, biodiversity constitutes the basis of the cultures. In other words, a loss of certain species could cause a loss of the culture to which the species belonged.

## (4) Supporting services

“Supporting services” can be defined as the services that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services mentioned above from (1) to (3). For example, the supporting services include oxygen production through photosynthesis, soil formation, food chains and the water cycle.

Thus, services being provided by ecosystems to human beings are quite diverse. Therefore, it can be said that biodiversity, which supports ecosystem services, provides an essential foundation for human life.

### 2. Material Circulation and Biodiversity that Support Ecosystem Services

As mentioned above at section 1, humans obtain great benefits from ecosystem services that constitute the basis of our life. Ecosystem services can be materialized through complicated interactions among various constituents of ecosystems (including diverse life) on Earth. Now, let's find details of those interactions and the basic roles of life in the mechanism of ecosystems.

Ecosystems consist of life and the surrounding environment, including the atmosphere, waters and soils. Every substance on Earth goes through some sort of ecological cycle. Also, solar energy flows through ecosystems as it is consumed by life at the same time.

All substances on Earth can be chemically identified as a finite set of elements, and they are consumed or used by life as they flow in a closed cycle of the geoecological system. Incoming solar energy into the Earth is always almost equal in volume to radiant