Reflections on Ecosystem Services: A Step Forward in the Protection of Nature?

Abstract

The theoretical concepts of ecosystem services were introduced in natural resource management to engage with the dominant political and economic perspectives and attempt to promote conservation in a pragmatic way. However, due to the challenges in their implementation and their reliance on utilitarian rationales, scholars debate whether this approach is appropriate to achieve long-term sustainability goals. This article provides background and discusses the general theoretical concepts of ecosystem services, discusses the practical challenges of implementing ecosystem services and developing this concept as a framework for resources management, discusses the moral implications and the problematic consequences of treating nature as a commodity, summarizes the results, and provides the conclusion.