Figure 1.2 Economic benefits under alternative management practices
Relatively few studies have compared the total economic value of ecosystems under alternative management regimes. The results of several that attempted to do so are shown. In each case where the total economic value of sustainable management practices was compared with management regimes involving conversion of the ecosystem or unsustainable practices, the value of the sustainably managed ecosystem exceeded that of the converted ecosystem even though the private benefits—that is, the actual monetary benefits captured from the services entering the market—would favour conversion or unsustainable management. These studies are consistent with the understanding that market failures associated with ecosystem services lead to greater conversion of ecosystems than is economically justified.
Source & © CBD 
Global Biodiversity Outlook 2 (2006),
Chapter 1:The Essential role of Biodiversity, p.17
Related publication:
Other Figures & Tables on this publication:
Table 3.1 Strategic Plan scorecard
Table 4.1 Prospects for achieving the targets of the framework for assessing progress towards the 2010 Biodiversity Target
Table 2.1 Headline indicators for assessing progress towards the 2010 Biodiversity Target †
Figure 1.1 Biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services, and drivers of change
Figure 2.2 Locations reported by various studies as undergoing high rates of change in forest cover in the past few decades
Figure 2.8 Degree of protection of terrestrial ecoregions and large marine ecosystems (all IUCN Protected Areas Management Categories combined)
Figure 2.9 Frequency distribution of terrestrial ecoregions by percentage surface area under protection
Figure 2.11 Change the Marine Trophic Index (early 1950s to the present)
Figure 2.12 Impact classification based on river channel fragmentation and water flow regulation by dams on 292 of the world’s large river systems
Figure 2.13 Estimates of forest fragmentation due to anthropogenic causes
Figure 2.14 Status and trends in biological oxygen demand (BOD) of major rivers in five regions (1980-2005)
Figure 2.16 Estimated total reactive nitrogen deposition from the atmosphere (wet and dry) (early 1990s)
Figure 2.17 Number of alien species recorded in the Nordic terrestrial, freshwater and marine environment
Figure 2.19 Intensity of ecological footprint
Figure 4.1 Main direct drivers of change in biodiversity and ecosystems
Box 3.3 Principles, guidelines and other tools developed under the Convention
Box 1.1 The role of biodiversity in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters
Box 1.2 Contribution of ecosystem goods and services to national economies
Box 1.3 Millennium Development Goals
Box 2.1 Headline indicators for assessing progress towards the 2010 Biodiversity Target
Box 3.1 The Ecosystem Approach
Box 3.2 Programmes of work of the Convention
Box 3.4 The biodiversity-related conventions
Box 3.5 The business case for biodiversity
Box 4.1Summary of the main findings on biodiversity of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Box 4.2 Policy options for the 2010 Biodiversity Target and beyond
Box 4.3 Elements of a strategy to reduce biodiversity loss
Box 5.1 Checklist of key actions for 2010
Figure 1.2 Economic benefits under alternative management practices
Figure 2.1 Annual net change in forest area by region (1990–2005)
Figure 2.3 Change in live coral cover across the Caribbean basin (1977-2002)
Figure 2.4 The Living Planet Index: trends in populations of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine species worldwide
Figure 2.5 Trends in European common birds in farmland and forest habitats
Figure 2.6 Red List Index for birds in marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, and in forest and shrubland/grassland habitats (1988-2004)
Figure 2.7 Trends in terrestrial surface under protected areas
Figure 2.10 Trends in mean trophic levels of fisheries landings (1950-2000)
Figure 2.15 Global trends in the creation of reactive nitrogen on Earth by human activity
Figure 2.18 Global Ecological Footprint
Figure 2.20 Aid activities targeting CBD objectives from 16 developed countries (1998-2003)
Figure 3.1 Participation in Convention processes
Figure 4.2 Links between food, energy and biodiversity loss
Figure 4.4 Outcomes for hunger reduction and biodiversity loss under the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment scenarios.
