Glossary
Anthropocentric value Value for people and human purposes.
Willingness to pay The money an individual is willing to pay for something tells us something about what that person is willing to give up on other goods and services to get that one good or service. It says something about the value that the person attaches to that good or service.
Biodiversity The diversity of life in all its forms, combinations and levels of organization (e.g. genetically, species and ecosystems)
Ecosystem The set of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) elements that characterize the coexistence of living organisms in a given area.
Ecosystem Services The goods and services provided by an ecosystem that contribute to human benefits (Reid, 2006). These consist of:
- Provisioning services: The products obtained from ecosystems, such as genetic resources, food, fibers and raw materials such as wood, reed, ....
- Regulating services: The benefits derived from the regulation of ecosystem processes, including, for example, the regulation of climate, water and some human diseases.
- Cultural services: The intangible pleasures people derive from ecosystems through mental enrichment, cognitive development, recreation and aesthetic experience.
- Supporting services: These services are necessary for the provision of all the above services such as soil formation, photosynthesis, food cycle.
Usage Value The value people derive from nature by using it themselves. This can be done through direct use such as walking in it or water use; but also indirectly, for example, the purification of water, air quality
Habitat Services Ecosystem services that underline the importance of ecosystems as a habitat for migratory species (e.g. nursery function) and as a protector of genetic diversity.
Instrumental value The value that is attached to something because it contributes to a certain goal, e.g. sports, gaining knowledge.
Intrinsic value Inherent value that something has, independent of any human experience or evaluation. For nature, this is the inherent value that life on earth is not possible without water and nature.
Cost-benefit analysis Costs and benefits of a proposed project/alternatives are valued as much as possible in money and then compared to each other to analyze whether the costs of that project outweigh the benefits and to be able to make a rational choice between alternatives.
Cost-effectiveness analysis This analysis compares the costs and problem-specific effect of two or more interventions for the same problem.
Social cost-benefit analysis A Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (SCBA) describes the consequences of certain measures for the welfare of society. In addition to direct economic advantages and disadvantages, matters that cannot be directly expressed in money, but may be important, are also examined.
Non-use value The value people derive from nature without using it themselves. This value consists of the value they derive from it because it offers them (option value) or future generations (transfer value) the option to use it in the future and the value because nature provides a habitat for animals and plants (existence value).
Relational value The value that contributes to desired relationships between people and groups and between people and nature