Forest land conversion, ecosystem services, and economic issues for policy
Subtitle: a review
By: Robert A. Smail and David J. Lewis
Contributors: Lewis, David J. (David James), 1974-; Pacific Northwest Research Station (Portland, Or.)
Series: General technical report PNW -- GTR-797; A Forests on the Edge report; General technical report PNW -- 797.; Forests on the Edge report
Publisher: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Portland, OR
Language: eng
Number of pages: 40
Subjects: Rural Land use; Deforestation; Ecosystem services; Government policy; Fragmented landscapes; Cutover lands; Forest policy
Description: The continued conversion and development of forest land pose a serious threat to the ecosystem services derived from forested landscapes. We argue that developing an understanding of the full range of consequences from forest conversion requires understanding the effects of such conversion on both components of ecosystem services: products and processes. However, there are unavoidable challenges involved in quantifying the threats from forest conversion and their related costs to human well-being. First, most attempts to quantify the costs of forest conversion on ecosystem services will necessarily rely on specific ecological science that is often emerging, changing, or simply nonexistent. For example, the role that many species play in ecosystem processes is poorly understood. Second, given the interconnected nature of ecosystem products and processes, any attempt to quantify the effects of forest conversion must grapple with jointness in production. For example, the cost of losing a species from forest conversion must account for that species' role as both (1) a product that directly contributes to human well-being, and (2) as a component in an ecosystem process. Finally, the ecology and the human dimensions of ecosystems are highly specific to spatial-temporal circumstances. Consequently, the effects of forest conversion in one spatial-temporal context are likely to be quite different than effects elsewhere.
Notes: Cover title.

"September 2009."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 27-40).

Also issued electronically via World Wide Web in PDF format.