Bruno, Giorilyn2016-02-172016-02-172016-02-17(2016) 118 Resources 1-60714-5918http://hdl.handle.net/1880/51107The 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.entheoretical concepts of ecosystem servicesconservation and sustainable use of biological diversityReflections on Ecosystem Services: A Step Forward in the Protection of Nature?journal article10.11575/PRISM/34437