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The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital

Nature volume 387, pages 253–260 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

The services of ecological systems and the natural capital stocks that produce them are critical to the functioning of the Earth's life-support system. They contribute to human welfare, both directly and indirectly, and therefore represent part of the total economic value of the planet. We have estimated the current economic value of 17 ecosystem services for 16 biomes, based on published studies and a few original calculations. For the entire biosphere, the value (most of which is outside the market) is estimated to be in the range of US$16-54 trillion (1012) per year, with an average of US$33 trillion per year. Because of the nature of the uncertainties, this must be considered a minimum estimate. Global gross national product total is around US$18 trillion per year.

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Author notes

  1. Karin Limburg

    Present address: Department of Systems Ecology, University of Stockholm, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

Affiliations

  1. Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies, Zoology Department, University of Maryland, Box 38, Solomons, Maryland, 20688, USA

    Robert Costanza

  2. Insitute for Ecological Economics, University of Maryland, Box 38, Solomons, Maryland, 20688, USA

    Robert Costanza & Monica Grasso

  3. Economics Department (emeritus), University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82070, USA

    Ralph d'Arge

  4. Center for Environment and Climate Studies, Wageningen Agricultural University, PO Box 9101, 6700 HB, Wageninengen, The Netherlands

    Rudolf de Groot

  5. Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260, USA

    Stephen Farber

  6. Geography Department and NCSA, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA

    Bruce Hannon

  7. Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, USA

    Karin Limburg

  8. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA

    Shahid Naeem

  9. Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831, USA

    Robert V. O'Neill

  10. Department of Ecology, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires, Av. San Martin 4453, 1417, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Jose Paruelo

  11. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, 91109, USA

    Robert G. Raskin

  12. National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, Department of Geography, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA

    Paul Sutton

  13. Ecological Economics Research and Applications Inc., PO Box 1589, Solomons, Maryland, 20688, USA

    Marjan van den Belt

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  1. Robert Costanza
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  2. Ralph d'Arge
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  3. Rudolf de Groot
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  4. Stephen Farber
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  5. Monica Grasso
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  6. Bruce Hannon
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  7. Karin Limburg
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  8. Shahid Naeem
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  9. Robert V. O'Neill
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  10. Jose Paruelo
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  11. Robert G. Raskin
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  12. Paul Sutton
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  13. Marjan van den Belt
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Costanza, R., d'Arge, R., de Groot, R. et al. The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387, 253–260 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/387253a0

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