Walter Dodds of Kansas State University will present "Valuation of Freshwater Ecosystem Goods and Services," at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 29, in the Hardin Hall auditorium. His talk is part of the Spring 2012 Water Seminar Series, sponsored by SNR and the Nebraska Water Center.
Abstract:
Methods have been developed to assign economic values to ecosystem goods and services, such as greenhouse gas cycling, self purification, production of commodities and recreation activities, and to determine how human activities influence these values. Values can then be applied to assess the relative importance of various human influences on natural environments and their ability to provide humanity with the properties we desire. Freshwaters are among the most valuable habitats on earth and among the most influenced by humanity. This talk will cover how valuation can be used to assess restoration, costs of eutrophication, and as a framework to describe global human influences. Globally humans have appropriated about 25 percent of freshwater ecosystem goods and services.
More details at: http://watercenter.unl.edu/