An Integrated Framework for the Instrumental Valuation of Nature

Nature is most often valued in terms of its provision of ecosystem goods and services to meet human needs. However, such instrumental valuations, informed by ecological economics, are limited by the mainly anthropocentric orientation. We present a framework to assess anthropocentric and nonanthropocentric instrumental values of nature in a balanced way, in association with sustainability science. Particular attention is paid to ecosystem functions, to be valued both for their benefits to human beings and for their importance to the ecological and evolutionary functioning of the global ecosystem.