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Print ISSN: 0006-3568
BioScience 60(8):576-589. 2010
Online ISSN: 1525-3244
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/bio.2010.60.8.4
Current: Mar 2013 : Volume 63 Issue 3
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Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne (ciara.raudsepp-hearne@mail.mcgill.ca) recently
completed her PhD in the Department of Geography, Elena M. Bennett is an
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Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne, Garry D. Peterson, Maria Tengö, Elena M. Bennett, Tim
assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences and McGill
Warming on Biodiversity
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Untangling the Environmentalist's Paradox: Why is
Human Well-Being Increasing as Ecosystem Services
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Garry D. Peterson is a researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Centre and the
Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, at Stockholm
University. During the preparation of this article he was an assistant professor
and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Geography and McGill
School of Environment, McGill University.
Maria Tengö was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geography at
McGill University when this manuscript was prepared and is currently a
researcher at the Department of Systems Ecology and the Stockholm
Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm.
Tim Holland was a master's student in the Department of Geography at McGill
University when this manuscript was prepared and currently works for SNV
Netherlands Development Organisation in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Karina Benessaiah was a master's student in the Department of Geography,
McGill University, when this manuscript was prepared, and is currently a
doctoral student in the Department of Geographical Sciences and Urban
Planning at Arizona State University.
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Environmentalists have argued that ecological degradation will lead to
declines in the well-being of people dependent on ecosystem services. The
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment paradoxically found that human wellbeing has increased despite large global declines in most ecosystem services.
We assess four explanations of these divergent trends: (1) We have
measured well-being incorrectly; (2) well-being is dependent on food
services, which are increasing, and not on other services that are declining;
(3) technology has decoupled well-being from nature; (4) time lags may lead
to future declines in well-being. Our findings discount the first hypothesis,
but elements of the remaining three appear plausible. Although ecologists
have convincingly documented ecological decline, science does not
adequately understand the implications of this decline for human well-being.
Untangling how human well-being has increased as ecosystem conditions
decline is critical to guiding future management of ecosystem services; we
propose four research areas to help achieve this goal.
Keywords: ecosystem services, human well-being, time lags, sustainability,
adaptation
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Online publication date: 1-Jan-2011.
Citation : Full Text : PDF (74 KB)
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