Land could be worth more left to nature than when farmed, study finds
Written by Phoebe Weston
Nature-rich sites such as woods and wetlands more valuable because of the ‘ecosystem services’ they provide
The economic benefits of protecting nature-rich sites such as wetlands and woodlands outweigh the profit that could be made from using the land for resource extraction, according to the largest study yet to look at the value of protecting nature at specific locations.
Scientists analysed 24 sites in six continents and found the asset returns of “ecosystem services” such as carbon storage and flood prevention created by conservation work was, pound for pound, greater than manmade capital created by using the land for activities such as forestry or farming cereals, sugar, tea or cocoa.
Related: How much is an elephant worth? Meet the ecologists doing the sums
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