Abstract
Biological diversity is a central component of the stock of natural capital on which all economic development is based. Other things being equal, loss of biologically diversity implies loss of development potential, and its conservation through sustainable use or outright protection implies the protection of that potential. One characteristics of biodiversity loss of especial importance is that biodiversity loss, more than any other current environmental problem, is associated with ecological threshold effects. The paper explores the implication of this characteristics for the properties of a biodiversity conservation strategy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arrow, K. J. and A. C. Fisher (1974), ‘Environmental Preservation, Uncertainty, and Irreversibility’,Quarterly Journal of Economics 88(2), 312–319.
Baumol, W. and W. Oates (1988),The Theory of Environmental Policy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Bishop, R. C. (1982), ‘Option Values: An Exposition and Extension’,Land Economics 58, 1–15.
Bromley, D. (1991),Environment and Economy: Property Rights and Public Policy, Blackwell, Oxford.
Ciriacy-Wantrup, S. V. (1952),Resource Conservation: Economics and Policies, University of California Press, Berkeley.
Common, M. and C. Perrings (1992), ‘Towards an Ecological Economics of Sustainability’,Ecological Economics 6(1), 7–34.
Daly, H. and W. Cobb (1990),For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, the Environment and a Sustainable Future, Beacon Press, Boston.
Dasgupta, P. (1991), ‘The Environment as a Commodity’, in D. Helm, ed.,Economic Policy Towards the Environment, Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 25–51.
Krutilla, J. V. (1967), ‘Conservation Reconsidered”,American Economic Review 57(4), 778–786.
Page, T. (1977),Conservation and Economic Efficiency, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
Pearce, D. W. (1987), ‘Foundations of an Ecological Economics’,Ecological Modelling 38, 9–18.
Pearce, D. W. and C. Perrings (1993), ‘Biodiversity Conservation and Economic Development: Local and Global Dimensions’, in C. Perrings, K. G. Mäler, C. S. Holling, B. O. Jansson, and C. Folke, eds.,Biodiversity Loss: Ecological and Economic Issues, Cambridge University Press, New York, forthcoming.
Pearce, D. W. and R. K. Turner (1990),Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment, Harvester-Wheatsheaf, London.
Perrings, C. (1991a), ‘Ecological Sustainability and Environmental Control’,Structural Change and Economic Dynamics 2, 275–295.
Perrings, C. (1991b), ‘Reserved Rationality and the Precautionary Principle: Technological Change, Time and Uncertainty in Environmental Decision-Making’, in R. Costanza, ed.,The Ecological Economics: The Science and Management of Sustainability, Columbia University Press, New York.
Randall, A. (1991), ‘Total and Nonuse Values’, in J. B. Braden and C. D. Kolstad, eds.,Measuring The Demand for Environmental Quality, Amsterdam: North Holland, 303–322.
Tietenberg, T. H. (1990), ‘Economic Instruments for Environmental Regulation’,Oxford Review of Economic Policy 6(1), 17–33.
Turner, R. K. and D. W. Pearce (1992), ‘The Ethical Foundations of Sustainable Development’,Advances in Human Ecology 1, 177–195.
Weisbrod, B. (1964), ‘Collective Consumption Services of Individual Consumption Goods’,Quarterly Journal of Economics 77, 71–77.
Weitzman, M. L. (1991), ‘On Diversity’,Environmental and Resource Economics (forthcoming).
Weitzman, M. L. (1974), ‘Prices vs Quantities’,Review of Economics Studies 41, 477–491.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Perrings, C., Pearce, D. Threshold effects and incentives for the conservation of biodiversity. Environ Resource Econ 4, 13–28 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691930
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691930