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