INVEST

Environmental Valuation Concepts

 

INTEGRATED VALUATION OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES TOOL
(INVEST)

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION CONCEPTS

 

What is Green Infrastructure?

Green Infrastructure is an interconnected network of green spaces and other environmental assests that conserves the functions of the natural ecosystem and provides associated benefits to people (Benedict and McMahon 2002). In West Michigan, green infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, the following:

 

Great Lake Sand
Dunes and Beaches
 Great Lake Sand Dunes and Beaches Photograph

 

Grass, Shurb and
Prairie Lands
 Grass, Shrub and Prairie Lands photograph

  

Forest Lands
 Forest Lands Photograph

  

 
Wetlands
 Wetlands Photograph

  

 
Lakes, Rivers and

Streams

 Lakes, Rivers and Streams Photograph

 

Shorelines and
Riparian Habitat
 Shorelines and Riparian Habitat Photograph

 

Row Crops,
Orchards and other
Specialty Crops
 Row Crops Photograph

  

 
Trails and

Greenways

 Trails and Greenways Photograph

 

What are Ecosystem Services?

Ecosystem Services are the direct and indirect benefits that people obtain from ecological systems (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2003). Benefits may vary between different systems and many are essential to human existence: e.g., food, water supply and disease regulation help maintain our physical health, and non-material ecosystem services help maintain our psychological well-being.

What is Economic Valuation?

Economic Valuation is the assignment of direct and indirect costs and benefits from a human point of view (Tietenberg 2006).

 

Green Infrastructure, Ecosystem Services and Economic Valuation are interconnected. This diagram looks at these linkages for one West Michigan land use.

Green Infrastructure

 

 

Ecosystem Services

 

 

 

 

 

Economic Value (Benefits to Humans)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page last modified May 6, 2010