Ecologists recognize that the ecosystem naturally provides many services to humans that we take for granted.(for some more simple info on this topic look at http://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/esa.html and for more detailed information check out http://www.eoearth.org/article/An_Introduction_to_Ecological_Economics:_Chapter_3)
Ecologists have begun to try putting a monetary value on the services that the ecosystem provides us. In 1997 a number of scientists valued ecosystem services at between 16 trillion to 5 trillion dollars each year (how many stimulus and bailout packages is that going to equal???). Obviously, this is a very difficult number to come up with and their methodology has been criticized.
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Value_of_the_world%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s_ecosystem_services%3A_the_influence_of_a_single_paper
However, it is important for us to be aware of many of the values that ecosystems provide to us and what services might be lost when we lose species and damage ecosystems.
Expected Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to
- discuss ecosystem services provided by species in both terrestrial and marine environments (TEKS 112.44 5E)
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