PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2012, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (7): 963-969.doi: 10.11820/dlkxjz.2012.07.015

• Original Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

An Introduction to Framework of Assessment of the Value of Ecosystem Services

DAI Junhu1, WANG Huanjiong1,2, WANG Hongli1,2, CHEN Chunyang1,2   

  1. 1. Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China;
    2. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2012-01-01 Revised:2012-05-01 Online:2012-07-25 Published:2012-07-25

Abstract: Ecosystem assessment is the foundation of ecosystem management and conservation. In recent years, many studies have assessed the ecosystem services for various types in multiple scales. These results enhance people’s understanding of ecosystem services. But some of the current assessment results are not reasonable so that they play a minor role in the practice of ecosystem compensation. So it is crucial to further study the framework of ecosystem services assessment so that we can better understand the actual value of ecosystem services. Based on the previous related theoretical framework for valuing ecosystem services, this study examines the advantages of each framework comprehensively, and summarizes an integrated framework for ecosystem services value assessment. In particular, this framework focuses on some key issues, including the economic theory for valuing ecosystem services, scales of ecosystem services and stakeholders. This framework aims to value the ecosystem services reasonably, to follow the wish to pay (WTP) rules and to combine the ecosystem services value with different stakeholders on multiple scales, which can enhance the applicability and maneuverability of assessment results and help determine the standard and objects of ecological compensation.

Key words: ecological compensation, ecosystem, ecosystem management, ecosystem services value assessment