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PLANNING THE WEDDING: DEVELOPMENT BASED UPON ECOSYSTEMS
Citation:
HANSEN, V. E. PLANNING THE WEDDING: DEVELOPMENT BASED UPON ECOSYSTEMS. Presented at A Conference On Ecosystem Services (ACES) 2008, Naples, FL, December 08 - 11, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
To discuss how developing a ecosystem can be compared to planning the wedding, so that one can make relevant land-use decisions that will meet human and environmental needs.
Description:
Changing land uses to meet needs and expectations of the growing human population is largely responsible for habitat loss, species extinctions, deterioration of water quality and quantity, soil losses and depletion, and ecosystem goods and services. Although such development is necessary to sustain human life and will inevitably take something from natural systems, these systems must also remain largely intact to sustain human life. Considering a bad marriage is not pleasant and divorce is not an option, it is better to work out the problems before the wedding. This dilemma can be resoved if the built environment is planned as we plan a wedding; and the environment is treated as a good spouse. These tools provide the ability to make relevant land-use decisions that meet human and environmental needs.