Paradise Lost? The Ecological Economics of Biodiversity

Originally published in 1994, Paradise Lost? is the outcome of a unique collaboration between economists and ecologists initiated by the Beijer Institute of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The book examines how the loss of biodiversity is one of the most serious problems the world faces, and suggests that new, interdisciplinary thinking is required to safeguard both us and the biosphere from the effects of species extinction. The book examines how an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to the conservation of biodiversity can understand and tackle the issue. It provides an overview of the causes of the problem, and examines previous approaches to dealing with it. The book also addresses how the loss of biodiversity affects natural systems and provides an examination of environmental policy, while discussing how this has been affected by the ecological limits to economic activity. This book will be of interest to both academics and students of environmental sciences, economics and politics.

List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Preface Part I: Implications, Driving Forces and Perspectives 1. Background and Overview 2. Ecological and Economic Implications of Biodiversity Loss 3. Ecological and Economic Perspectives: Convergence or Divergence? 4. Driving Forces for Biodiversity Loss Part II: Analysis of Selected Systems 5. Forests 6. Wetlands 7. Estuarine and Marine Ecosystems 8. Rangelands Part III: Lessons for Management and Policy 9. Instruments and Tools for Biodiversity Conservation 10. Policies and Institutions for Biodiversity Conservation Part IV: Conclusions 11. Paradise Regained: The Challenges Ahead Glossary of Selected Ecological and Economic Terms Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations References Index