Soil Economics: What Are Soil Ecosystem Services Worth?.

Soil ecosystem services are vital components to all aspects of life, but there are relatively few quantitative estimates of the economic value of these services.  One reason for this gap in quantitative estimates is due to the way economic values are conceptualized and measured. Soil ecosystem services are particularly challenging to value given their supportive role in all ecosystems.  The interconnected nature of ecosystems and ecosystem services makes it is difficult to determine the contribution on any single component to the overall value of the resource.  Existing primary valuation estimates (resulting from of original studies of a particular location and/or ecosystem service), are mostly related to agricultural aspects of soil.  In these studies the focus is often on the direct use value of soil or soil nutrients to the farmer, or the off-farm indirect use value and non-use value the surrounding region enjoys when agricultural runoff is reduced.  I will review the concepts and methods of ecosystem service valuation, provide examples of existing economic valuation estimates, and discuss how an integrative approach might be used to better understand the economic value of soil ecosystem services.