Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Publication Date
2021
ISSN
1540-9295
Page Number
August 9, 2021
Keywords
ecosystem services, policy goals, conservation
Disciplines
Environmental Law | Law
Abstract
Conservation and provision of ecosystem services (ES) have been adopted as high-level policy in many countries, yet there has been surprisingly little application of these broad policies in the field; for example, ES are rarely considered in permit issuance or other discrete agency actions. This large implementation gap arises in part because the science that drove general policy interest in ES differs from the science needed for practical application. A better understanding of the environmental policy toolkit can guide more effective research to support agency decisions. Here, we outline the framework used to teach environmental policy instruments through the “Five P’s”: prescription, property, penalty, payment, and persuasion. We then discuss the discrete ES research required to effectively implement each tool. To support greater conservation of ES in the field, scientists and policy makers must clearly recognize what each needs from the other.
Recommended Citation
J. B. Ruhl, James Salzman, Craig A. Arnold, Robin Craig, Keith Hirokawa, Lydia Olander, Margaret Palmer, and Taylor H. Ricketts,
Connecting Ecosystem Services Science and Policy in the Field, 19 Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. August 9, 2021
(2021)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty-publications/1226