The economic value of grassland species for carbon storage

Bruce A. Hungate; Edward B. Barbier; Amy W. Ando; Samuel P. Marks; Peter B. Reich; Natasja van Gestel; David Tilman; Johannes M.H. Knops; David U. Hooper; Bradley J. Butterfield; Bradley J. Cardinale

doi:10.1126/sciadv.1601880

The economic value of grassland species for carbon storage

Bruce A. Hungate, Edward B. Barbier, Amy W. Ando, Samuel P. Marks, Peter B. Reich, Natasja van Gestel, David Tilman, Johannes M.H. Knops, David U. Hooper, Bradley J. Butterfield, Bradley J. Cardinale

Biological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

Carbon storage by ecosystems is valuable for climate protection. Biodiversity conservation may help increase carbon storage, but the value of this influence has been difficult to assess. We use plant, soil, and ecosystem carbon storage data from two grassland biodiversity experiments to show that greater species richness increases economic value: Increasing species richness from 1 to 10 had twice the economic value of increasing species richness from 1 to 2. The marginal value of each additional species declined as species accumulated, reflecting the nonlinear relationship between species richness and plant biomass production. Our demonstration of the economic value of biodiversity for enhancing carbon storage provides a foundation for assessing the value of biodiversity for decisions about land management. Combining carbon storage with other ecosystem services affected by biodiversity may well enhance the economic arguments for conservation even further.

Original language	English
Article number	e1601880
Journal	Science Advances
Volume	3
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1601880
State	Published - Apr 2017

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title = "The economic value of grassland species for carbon storage",

abstract = "Carbon storage by ecosystems is valuable for climate protection. Biodiversity conservation may help increase carbon storage, but the value of this influence has been difficult to assess. We use plant, soil, and ecosystem carbon storage data from two grassland biodiversity experiments to show that greater species richness increases economic value: Increasing species richness from 1 to 10 had twice the economic value of increasing species richness from 1 to 2. The marginal value of each additional species declined as species accumulated, reflecting the nonlinear relationship between species richness and plant biomass production. Our demonstration of the economic value of biodiversity for enhancing carbon storage provides a foundation for assessing the value of biodiversity for decisions about land management. Combining carbon storage with other ecosystem services affected by biodiversity may well enhance the economic arguments for conservation even further.",

author = "Hungate, {Bruce A.} and Barbier, {Edward B.} and Ando, {Amy W.} and Marks, {Samuel P.} and Reich, {Peter B.} and {van Gestel}, Natasja and David Tilman and Knops, {Johannes M.H.} and Hooper, {David U.} and Butterfield, {Bradley J.} and Cardinale, {Bradley J.}",

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AU - Hungate, Bruce A.

AU - Barbier, Edward B.

AU - Ando, Amy W.

AU - Marks, Samuel P.

AU - Reich, Peter B.

AU - van Gestel, Natasja

AU - Tilman, David

AU - Knops, Johannes M.H.

AU - Hooper, David U.

AU - Butterfield, Bradley J.

AU - Cardinale, Bradley J.

PY - 2017/4

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N2 - Carbon storage by ecosystems is valuable for climate protection. Biodiversity conservation may help increase carbon storage, but the value of this influence has been difficult to assess. We use plant, soil, and ecosystem carbon storage data from two grassland biodiversity experiments to show that greater species richness increases economic value: Increasing species richness from 1 to 10 had twice the economic value of increasing species richness from 1 to 2. The marginal value of each additional species declined as species accumulated, reflecting the nonlinear relationship between species richness and plant biomass production. Our demonstration of the economic value of biodiversity for enhancing carbon storage provides a foundation for assessing the value of biodiversity for decisions about land management. Combining carbon storage with other ecosystem services affected by biodiversity may well enhance the economic arguments for conservation even further.

AB - Carbon storage by ecosystems is valuable for climate protection. Biodiversity conservation may help increase carbon storage, but the value of this influence has been difficult to assess. We use plant, soil, and ecosystem carbon storage data from two grassland biodiversity experiments to show that greater species richness increases economic value: Increasing species richness from 1 to 10 had twice the economic value of increasing species richness from 1 to 2. The marginal value of each additional species declined as species accumulated, reflecting the nonlinear relationship between species richness and plant biomass production. Our demonstration of the economic value of biodiversity for enhancing carbon storage provides a foundation for assessing the value of biodiversity for decisions about land management. Combining carbon storage with other ecosystem services affected by biodiversity may well enhance the economic arguments for conservation even further.

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The economic value of grassland species for carbon storage

Abstract

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