Frontiers in Soil Science Research Report of a Workshop (2009) / Chapter Skim
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2 Placing a Value on Soil Science Research
2 Placing a Value on Soil Science Research
Pages 8-12
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From page 8... ...
Clothier described how the New Zealand soil science research community regrouped after almost disappearing in 2003 to become a sustained research program funded by the central government. The media called for support of soil science, noting that research into soil was one of the most productive uses of science for the country and that constant requirements for fertilizer and soil erosion were reasons enough to continue research for improving soil quality and stability.
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From page 9... ...
Greater emphasis has focused on the need to address the impact of land use on managed ecosystems -- both agricultural and nonagricultural. Clothier mentioned the greater appreciation in New Zealand for the value of ecosystem services such as maintenance and regeneration of habitat, provision of shade and shelter, pest control, maintenance of soil health, maintenance of healthy waterways, water filtration by soil and control of soil erosion, sustaining the productive capacity of soil, regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and moderation of climate change.
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From page 10... ...
Scow stated that a "fundamental institutional shift [is] required to quantify and derive societal value from remaining natural soils and ecosystems and to provide the scientific basis to argue for their preservation." As a framework for valuing ecosystem goods and services, Scow noted a 2004 National Research Council report on Valuing Ecosystem Services, which gives a conceptual framework for understanding, shown in Figure 2-1.
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From page 11... ...
A social value, as well as environmental copied from figure 7-1 in R0415 and economic, determines the value of an ecosystem service. "The funda vector, editable mental challenge of valuing ecosystem services lies in providing an explicit description and adequate assessment of the links between the structures and functions of natural systems, the benefits (i.e., goods and services)
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From page 12... ...
Perhaps the broader soil science research community can learn from the New Zealand experience. We need to find ways to work with the funding community to raise awareness of the value of the ecosystem services that soils in both managed and natural settings provide, as did the scientific community in New Zealand.
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