Summary
Key takeaway: This research puts a price tag on the goods and services provided ‘for free’ by nature to a community in snow leopard habitat.
Highlights: The first-ever assessment of the value of ecosystem services in a snow leopard landscape has shown that the value of goods and services provided for free by nature to local people in Spiti, India, is around 4 times more than their average household income.
Why it matters: When decisions about the use of land are made, economic arguments such as jobs, revenue and value often dominate the conversation. This work creates a basis for taking the economic values of nature into account as well. It can serve as a blueprint for similar assessments in other landscapes in the future.
Title: The value of ecosystem services in the high altitude Spiti Valley, Indian Trans-Himalaya
Publication: Ecosystem Services