Optimal Investment in Multi-species Protection: Interacting Species and Ecosystem Health

摘要: This article uses an ecological-economic approach to study optimal investment in multi-species protection when species interact ecosystem. The analysis is based on a model of stochastic extinction which survival probabilities are interdependent. Individual plans can increase species' probability within certain limits and contingent upon the existence or absence other species. Protection costly conservation budget fixed. It assumed that human well-being depends solely services provided by one particular species, but contribute overall ecosystem functioning thus influence first probability. One result it may be invest those do not directly well-being, even if biological decisions exclusively derived from such utilitarian framework. Another rank ordering spending priorities among different plans, as obtained under assumption independent completely reversed taking interaction into account. conclusion effective should go beyond targeting individual consider relations whole ecosystems well functioning. Ecosystem health identified necessary prerequisite for successful situ.