Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Papers in Economics,
University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics

No 546: Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Services Provision: Tale of Confused Objectives, Multiple Market Failures and Policy Challenges

Jessica Coria (), Elizabeth Robinson (), Henrik G. Smith () and Thomas Sterner ()
Additional contact information
Jessica Coria: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: P.O.Box 640, SE 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
Elizabeth Robinson: School of Agriculture, Policy, and Development, Reading, and Department of Economics, Gothenburg, Sweden, Postal: University of Reading, UK
Henrik G. Smith: Department of Animal Ecology, Lund, Postal: University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
Thomas Sterner: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: P.O.Box 640, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden

Abstract: Most research and funding in conservation has been oriented toward biodiversity per se. Until recently there has been little tangible effort in linking conservation to ecosystem service provision. Nevertheless, this trend seems to be changing due in part to the relative success of payment mechanisms that provide funding for the conservation of ecosystem services – defined as discrete and identifiable end-products. This paper describes the features of optimal policies to protect (i) biodiversity vs. (ii) ecosystem services and analyze to what extent the criteria in (i) and (ii) set against each other or create synergies. We also analyze how payments for ecosystem services affect the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services conservation.

Keywords: Biodiversity conservation; ecosystem services; synergies and trade-offs; environmental policies

JEL-codes: Q23; Q24; Q28; Q29

44 pages, November 8, 2012

Full text files

31425 HTML file 

Download statistics

Questions (including download problems) about the papers in this series should be directed to Jessica Oscarsson ()
Report other problems with accessing this service to Sune Karlsson ().

RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0546This page generated on 2024-10-31 13:22:59.