What are the most important uncertainties hindering decision-making concerning ecosystems?
Reducing some important uncertainties about ecosystems and their services could significantly improve the ability of assessments to provide the information needed by policy-makers. Better theories and models are needed to understand the links between ecosystem change and impacts on human well-being and to assess the economic consequences of ecosystem change. Conditions and trends in ecosystems are difficult to assess because of gaps in information, due for instance to incomplete monitoring systems, inventories of species, and models. More… Better models could provide decision-makers with detailed information that directly links local, national, regional, and global projections on the future of ecosystem services. More… There is limited information on the costs and benefits of alternative policy options in terms of total economic value (including non-marketed ecosystem services). Moreover, not enough is known about the importance placed by different cultures on cultural services, ho
