Natural capital is defined as the earth’s stock of natural assets. These assets can be renewable and non-renewable resources, including; air, soil, forests, and water, to name a few. The benefits people derive from the combined flow of natural capital have been coined ecosystem services.
Government regulation has long been the traditional mechanism employed to avoid environmental degradation. These Command and Control (CAC) policies tell companies what the environmental standards are and how to meet them.
While conventional linear restoration programs have concentrated on reducing the amount of fragmentation in caribou habitat, there is now a focus on the additional benefits that occur on the land base in the form of ecosystem services (ES).
Ecosystem Services (ES) are the benefits nature provides to people. These can include essential services like access to clean drinking water and food production or other values like recreational opportunities and aesthetics.
Environmental stewardship first came to the forefront in the 1980s with the introduction of basic environmental health and safety (EHS) systems.
Many industries enjoy a wide range of benefits from the resources and processes supplied by nature. Forests supply timber and wood fiber, purify rivers and streams, and yield genetic resources. River systems provide fresh water, power, and recreation.
Ecosystem Services are the benefits nature provides to human well-being. The term is frequently thrown around in academic circles, but why should you care about them?
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