SDG Detail

BIO 138: Ecosystem Services: Frontiers in the Science of Valuing Nature

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Project description

This course explores the science of valuing nature, beginning with its historical origins and then a primary focus on its recent development and frontiers. The principal aim of the course is to enable new research and real-world applications of InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) tools and approaches. We will discuss the interconnections between people and nature and key research frontiers, such as in the realms of biodiversity, resilience, human health, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development. The science we�ll explore is in the service of decisions, and we will use examples from real life to illustrate why this science is so critical to informing why, where, how, and how much people need nature. Prerequisite. Basic to intermediate GIS skills are required (including working with raster, vector and tabular data; loading and editing rasters, shapefiles, and tables into a GIS; understanding coordinate systems; and performing basic raster math).