Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Wool Production

Biodiversity is the variety of life. It drives the ecological processes that keep the planet liveable and productive for humans and other organisms alike. We would not be here without it, so understanding more about biodiversity is in everyone's interests. A comprehensive and useful way to think about biodiversity is how it meets people's needs. This 'ecosystem service' approach identifies the goods and services that people want from the ecological functioning of the biosphere. It helps people define what products and intangibles they want, in what amounts, to whom they must turn for environmental goods and services, and how much they are prepared to pay for them (if anything). In some ways, ecosystem service thinking is nothing new. Healthy food, clean air, fresh water, comfortable attire and a pleasant environment are things that people have always desired; they are just a few of the more obvious ecosystem goods and services. In a recent study undertaken for catchment management authorities across northern Victoria, Jann Williams, Geoff Park and I documented 56 different ecosystem services - that is, specific goods or services that may be available in terrestrial or coastal areas, depending on the biodiversity present, the ecosystem type and the land and water management regime.