Questioning the ecosystem services argument for biodiversity conservation
Biodiversity and Conservation, 17 (4):
781--790 (2008)Abstract
One of the central justifications for the conservation of biodiversity is the notion that species diversity is essential for
the maintenance of ecosystem services. However, an important observation overlooked by proponents of this argument is thatmost ecosystem services are provided not by whole ecosystems, but by any group of species that fulfils certain basic functional criteria. Distinguishing between services that are resilient in response to species decline, and those that are not, is afar less challenging task than identifying the precise influence on ecosystem functioning of rare species. Conservationistshave been almost unanimous in their failure to acknowledge this distinction between resilient and sensitive ecosystem services.Not only does this threaten the credibility of conservation science, but also increases the likelihood that natural area managementbecomes hijacked by the demand that ecosystem service provision be made the dominant management criteria.
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