Benefit transfer and the economic value of Biocapacity: Introducing the ecosystem service Yield factor

The Ecological Footprint can inform benefit transfer estimates of ecosystem services by considering the different productivity of land-types. In this paper, ecosystem service values are used to calculate Ecosystem Service Yield Factors (ES-YFs) for the world countries as monetary-based alternative to resource-based Yield Factors (YFs). These scaling factors are context-dependent and can be used for transferring ecosystem service values calculated in different locations for cropland, grazing land and forest. The ES-YFs were further used to calculate Biocapacity Economic Values (BEVs) that represent natural capital values and can be used for environmental economic accounting and as a component of wellbeing indicators. Besides improving the accuracy and feasibility of the benefit transfer method, the ES-YFs can inform natural resource management towards more sustainable options and allows for comparison with economic values in markets sensible to asymmetry, incomplete information, unfairness and unethical behaviours.

Automated summary

The study calculates Ecosystem Service Yield Factors (ES-YFs) using ecosystem service values, which can be used for environmental economic accounting and as part of wellbeing indicators. This helps in making more sustainable natural resource management choices and allows comparison with market economic values.