Convention on Biological Diversity
This website, by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), promotes the implementation of payments for ecosystem services through sharing information and describing best practices throughout the world. Links to organizations that promote and design payments for ecosystem service programs are provided.
Ecological Society of America
The formation of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) took place in 1914 with the purpose of unifying ecologists to stimulate research in ecology and promote responsible applications of ecological data and principles. In addition to providing information on different science programs, grants, fellowships and educational conferences, ESA stimulates discussions of current topics in ecology. The following webpages are useful for those interested in ecosystem services: Ecosystem Services Fact Sheet, Pollination Fact Sheetand Water Purification Fact Sheet.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) conducted a global research project on the consequences of ecosystem changes from 2001 to 2005. This project provided authoritative results on the conditions and the trends of the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide, as well as scientific-based suggestions on conservation planning and implementations. These findings are summarized in reports by topics and geographic locations. In addition, these reports are available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. To start, take a look at Living Beyond Our Means – Natural Assets and Human Well-Being report to get a general understanding of how much human activities affect ecosystems and the services they provide.
The Katoomba Group’s Ecosystem Marketplace
The Ecosystem Marketplace is the leading source of information on policy, finance, regulation, and science and business for markets of ecosystem services. By making information available to the public, the Ecosystem Marketplace hopes to help give value to the environmental services that society takes for granted. Lists of publications dealing with the types of payments (carbon, water, biodiversity, and other markets), the geographic localities of projects (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania), and many other aspects of payments for ecosystem services are provided. Under carbon, for example, 334 articles are listed.
Two articles dealing with payments for ecosystem services on this site are Taking Stock: Assessing Ecosystem Services Conservation in Costa Rica in which the results and implications of Costa Rica’s payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs are evaluated and the Costa Rica Water-Based Ecosystem Services Markets in which the outcomes of one of Costa Rica’s PES programs (hydrological services protection) are discussed.
University of Minnesota Libraries
This site provides a bibliography of publications dealing with ecosystem services. Literatures on various aspects of ecosystem services are organized into the following categories:
- General
- Driver of ecosystem change
- Ecosystem structure/function and the provision of ecosystem[s]
- Specific goods and services and biodiversity
- Specific ecosystems
- Scale
- Market and non-market valuation
- Policy, management and incentive mechanisms
- Other economic and policy related issues
- Specific geographic locations of application
U.S Department of Agriculture – Forest Service
Established in 1905, the Forest Service (an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture) manages public lands in national forests and grasslands. This website presents essaysabout carbon sequestration, watershed services, biodiversity, importance of neighborhood trees, payments for ecosystem service programs, and a description of the USDA Office of Environmental markets. The essays include important literature references, often with attached PDFs of the articles cited. The efforts of the Forest Service to protect forests, because of the important ecosystem services they provide, are described. This website is a must for all those interested in the protection of forests and the role that they play in providing ecosystem services.
U.S Environmental Protection Agency
This site describes the objectives, research activities, and accomplishments of theEcosystem Services Research Program in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD). Through publications, fact sheets and articles available on the website, the Ecosystem Services Research Program promotes the goals of advancing ecosystem services research and improving the knowledge needed to protect and restore natural ecosystems.
ECOTOURISM
American University
This website discusses the advantages and disadvantages of ecotourism in Costa Rica from the economic, social, and environmental perspectives. In addition, this website contains links to similar debates on the impacts of ecotourism in other countries.
Center for Responsible Travel
The mission of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) – a non-profit research institution – is to design, monitor, evaluate, and improve sustainable tourism practices and principles. The latest research carried out by CREST is dedicated to assessing the impacts of tourism-related developments on the Osa Peninsula. CREST also publishes reports on costal tourism, cruise tourism, and responsible tourism for different countries.
Conservation International
Conservation International (CI) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote the well-being of humanity by protecting and sustaining Earth’s ecosystems and biodiversity. On theCosta Rica page, CI outlines Costa Rica’s active roles in conserving the environment and ecosystem services. In addition, the Developing Ecotourism site contains information on the potentials of ecotourism, ecotourism practices, and ecotourism development around the world.
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a U.S. environmental organization that works to preserve natural environments for current and future generations. The Conservancy has made extensive efforts in conserving Costa Rica’s natural beauty. The Costa Rica page draws special attention to Costa Rica’s tropical rainforests. Additionally, the Ecotourism page identifies useful and applicable tools in helping local communities manage ecotourism.
The International Ecotourism Society
The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), launched in 1990, aims to promote ecotourism, which they define as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” This website provides information ranging from definitions of ecotourism to tips for travelers to various destinations.
Urban Environmental Management
This is an Internet-based tool to allow easy and rapid access to information on sustainable tourism and related topics. The goal of the Sustainable Tourism Gateway (ST Gateway) is to raise awareness and educate travelers on issues related to sustainable tourism, assist in policy and program development, and facilitate monitoring and evaluation of the impact of ecotourists on the areas they visit.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Anywhere Costa Rica
Anywhere Costa Rica is a travel service website that provides dependable information for independent travelers to Costa Rica. This organization supports responsible tourism with minimal impact on the environment and tourism that improves the well-being of local communities. An essay by Costa Rican president, Dr. Oscar Arias Sánchez, examines current and future sustainable development in Costa Rica.
UN Division for Sustainable Development
The Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) is a part of the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs. DSD aims to adopt a widely encompassing approach to sustainable development that addresses social, economic, and environmental issues. This website includes Costa Rica’s national report on the country’s measurable indicators of sustainable development.