Publication Details |
Category | Text Publication |
Reference Category | Journals |
DOI | 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.02.023 |
Title (Primary) | Capturing the complexity of biodiversity: A critical review of economic valuation studies of biological diversity |
Author | Bartkowski, B.; Lienhoop, N.; Hansjürgens, B.
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Source Titel | Ecological Economics |
Year | 2015 |
Department | OEKON |
Volume | 113 |
Page From | 1 |
Page To | 14 |
Language | englisch |
Keywords | Biodiversity; Economic valuation; Literature review; Biodiversity proxies; Multi-attribute valuation |
UFZ wide themes | RU6; |
Abstract | Biodiversity is a highly complex and abstract ecological concept. Even though it is not one physical entity, it influences human well-being in multiple ways, mostly indirectly. While considerable research effort has been spent on the economic valuation of biodiversity, it remains to be a particularly challenging ‘valuation object’. Valuation practitioners therefore have to use proxies for biodiversity, many of which are very simple (single species, habitats). This paper presents a comprehensive and critical review of biodiversity valuation studies with special emphasis on biodiversity valuation in order to depict the state-of-the-art in this research field. It develops evaluation criteria so as to identify best-practice applications and shows that the field of biodiversity valuation studies is rather heterogeneous regarding both valuation objects and valuation methods. On the basis of our evaluation criteria and best-practice studies we suggest that to account for the complexity and abstractness of biodiversity, multi-attribute approaches with encompassing information provision should be used that emphasise the roles biodiversity plays for human well-being. |
Persistent UFZ Identifier | https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=15899 |
Bartkowski, B., Lienhoop, N., Hansjürgens, B. (2015): Capturing the complexity of biodiversity: A critical review of economic valuation studies of biological diversity Ecol. Econ. 113 , 1 - 14 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.02.023 |