With strategic planning, the marine protected area network could be a third smaller, cost half as much, and still meet the international target of protecting 10% of every ecosystem.
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Articles on Ecosystem services
Displaying 1 - 20 of 39 articles
Rewilding is gaining popularity around the world, as a means to restore ecosystems to their ancient state. But just like Vegemite, Australian rewilding projects need to have a unique flavour.
Approximately 50% of the UK's poorest people live over 15 miles from a national park and most people require transport to get to them.
Countries can protect biodiversity and recognize Indigenous peoples as conservation partners.
Marshes, swamps and other kinds of wetlands provide valuable services, such as effective natural flood control. But they are being destroyed for development in many parts of the world.
The thin layer of soil on our planet's surface ultimately sustains us all, but it's a finite resource. With a growing global population, perhaps it is time to start looking for alternatives.
A new study involving leaving animal carcasses strewn across Tasmania shows that in places where devils have dwindled, other scavengers are stepping up to fill the gap, with nasty knock-on effects.
At an international summit in Egypt this month, nations will hopefully make progress towards recognising the economic value of wildlife and other environmental assets.
Brazil has set itself a target of restoring almost 50,000 sq km of the Amazon rainforest by 2030. But it won't get there without changing its policies and how it engages with local people.
An AC/DC-loving biologist tests the band's 1980 assertion that "rock 'n' roll ain't noise pollution." Turns out it can be – and the negative effects of noise can ripple through an ecosystem.
Governments around the world have vowed to halt the loss of global biodiversity by 2020, but without more investment, we'll miss some of the targets.
Some scientists want to replace 'ecosystem services' with ‘Nature’s Contributions to People’.
Oysters aren't just good for a feed. They also give a vital boost to coastal ecosystems, which is why efforts are underway to restore Australia's once-abundant oyster reefs to their former glory.
How do you determine the financial benefit of cutting a tree down, versus leaving it standing? Environmental accounting offers some insight.
Wilderness areas are vitally important, yet are largely overlooked by the United Nations' list of natural World Heritage. This week's meeting in Poland is a chance to redress that balance.
A full valuation of the Great Barrier Reef leads to a number so high it is essentially not worth considering in economic terms.
In an urbanizing world, people increasingly are seeking out nature in cities. Research shows that diverse species of animals, plants and insects can thrive in areas that humans have altered.
We focus on large, charismatic animals at the expense of these crucial 'lowly creatures'.
It's time for governments to think long-term about the kind of places they want to create.
Melanesia's oceans are worth at least US$5.4 billion, but are under increasing threat.
Top contributors
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Professor, Department of Geography and the Environment, University of Denver
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Associate professor, University of Tasmania
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Professor, The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
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Professor, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Environmental Geography, Northumbria University, Newcastle
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Professor and VC's Chair, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
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Michael Vardon is a Friend of The Conversation.
Associate Professor at the Fenner School, Australian National University
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Postdoctoral research fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Digital Agriculture & Soil Science; Director, Sydney Institute of Agriculture, University of Sydney
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Research Lecturer, Western Sydney University
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Director, Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland
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Adjunct professor, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Charles Darwin University
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Professor, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Wildlife Conservation and ARC Australian Professorial Fellow, University of Tasmania
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Lecturer, University of Sydney
