Quantifying Biodiversity For Valuation

Biodiversity, arising at multiple levels, is known as a multi-dimensional and complex concept, but is also known to have a rather loose definition. Imprecise definitions are not very suitable for objective quantification or the rigour of economic valuation. Therefore, to construct a more substantial definition of value for biodiversity, a theoretical argument aiming to link biodiversity and functional (meaningful) information needs to be developed. A working hypothesis is that biodiversity is a measure of the total difference within a biological system, which can be summarised in terms of the system's total information content, of which functional information is a subset. Since functional information has systematic (non-random) Patterns, it therefore, coincides with the scientific meaning of biological complexity, thus providing the foundation of value in biodiversity. The theory presented sets the goal of estimating biological complexity from the potentially valuable information derived from empirical biodiversity metric data (ecological measures). To achieve this, the ecological properties ofa system, as they are measured by ecologists, were translated into a simply defined single valued property. This led to a conclusion that ifthere exists a systematic relationship among empirical biodiversity metrics, then there must be a unifying property underlying intrinsic value ofbiodiversity. Then, an advantage of a representation of biodiversity as information was demonstrated by comparing it with the most commonly used metric - species richness. It was shown that species richness missed a large proportion of diversity, emphasising the importance of additional ecological properties and the need for species databases to record functional traits, presence and abundances in communities, as well as phylogenetic information. Finally, by providing intellectual foundations and developing an analytical tool for biodiversity quantification, this study sets the goal for further research.

First Published in 1994. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

All societies depend on biodiversity and biological resources, and policy makers are increasingly aware that development pressures are today generating unprecedented rates of biodiversity loss. The fact that biodiversity issues often receive low priority in policy decisions is at least in part due to problems involved in assessing its contribution to society -- these values defy easy description and quantification. What cannot be quantified, or is difficult to monitor and evaluate, is easy to disregard. The result is that biodiversity fails to compete on a level playing field in policy decisions with the forces driving their decline. This Handbook describes the types of values usually associated with biodiversity. While there are exceptions to the need to prioritise economic values over other cultural, traditional and spiritual values, economic valuation has a sound theoretical foundation that can help clarify the tradeoffs implicit in public policy decisions. On the other hand, the Handbook recognises the limitations of the economic approach, and considers how economic and non-economic values can eventually be reconciled. The Handbook also reviews the various methodological approaches often used to quantify these values. Data requirements and limitations are discussed. These methodologies are then applied to a series of concrete policy contexts, ranging from land use planning to the determination of legal damages for environmental degradation.

This book synthesizes current methods used to quantify functional diversity, providing step-by-step examples for defining functional groups and estimating functional indices. The authors show how to compare communities, and how to analyze changes of diversity along environmental gradients, using real-life examples throughout. One section of the book demonstrates the selection of traits, and the standardization and characterization of ecosystem data. Another section presents methods used to quantify functional diversity, shows how to relate functional diversity with environmental variables and how to connect these to ecosystem services. The concluding section introduces FDiversity, a free program developed by the authors. The reader is guided through every step from software installation and basic functions, to sample and database design, to graphical projection methods, employing case study data to illustrate key concepts.

The importance of biodiversity valuation is widely understood in academia and is increasingly used in policy making and other fora. For example, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), through the Conference of the Parties (COP), recognises that "economic valuation of biodiversity and biological resources is an important tool for well-targeted and calibrated economic incentive measures". Further, it encourages the Parties to "take into account economic, social, cultural and ethical valuation in the development of relevant incentive measures" (CBD COP Decision IV/10). Biodiversity valuation should be an integral part of environmental economic policy, providing information to policy makers in their quest to identify priorities and equate trade-offs. As part of its effort to support governments in using valuation methods to assess the value of biological diversity, the OECD commissioned this series of case studies. They cover the state of the art on economic valuation and on the interface between economic and ecological valuation.

‘Biodiversity’ at its simplest, refers to the variety of species inhabiting Planet Earth. It is essential to the well-being of the planet. There is now a scientific consensus around the current ongoing crisis in biodiversity arising from both climate change and human activities. Experts believe we are in the middle of a mass extinction of biodiversity with devastating consequences for our planet. Accounting for Biodiversity explores the need for companies to actively protect, conserve and improve biodiversity within their sphere of operation. The 14 chapters written by a selected team of experts investigate the ways in which companies are embracing their responsibility through a variety of biodiversity initiatives and innovative models designed to improve the recording, reporting and valuing of biodiversity. Global case studies look at biodiversity accounting in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and South America. Overall, this book provides a comprehensive set of reflections on accounting for biodiversity and recommendations for the future. This book is essential reading for all those interested in the contribution that accounting can make to the preservation of biodiversity. As we see increasing awareness of the importance of sustainability and ecological responsibility in business activity it is relevant and should prove informative to students, managers, accountants and those in business more generally. It is also important for all those interested in conserving biodiversity.

This accessible and timely book provides a comprehensive overview of how to measure biodiversity. The book highlights new developments, including innovative approaches to measuring taxonomic distinctness and estimating species richness, and evaluates these alongside traditional methods such as species abundance distributions, and diversity and evenness statistics. Helps the reader quantify and interpret patterns of ecological diversity, focusing on the measurement and estimation of species richness and abundance. Explores the concept of ecological diversity, bringing new perspectives to a field beset by contradictory views and advice. Discussion spans issues such as the meaning of community in the context of ecological diversity, scales of diversity and distribution of diversity among taxa Highlights advances in measurement paying particular attention to new techniques such as species richness estimation, application of measures of diversity to conservation and environmental management and addressing sampling issues Includes worked examples of key methods in helping people to understand the techniques and use available computer packages more effectively