Vorlesung: Naturschutzökonomie / Nature Conservation Economics

The course mainly (but not entirely) relies on:

Tisdell, C. A: (2005): Economics of Environmental Conservation. Second Edition. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

additionally recommended:

Robert Elliot (ed.): Environmental Ethics. Oxford UP

Angelika Krebs: Ethics of Nature. Berlin DeGruyter

Herman Daly: Beyond Growth. Boston

Konrad Ott, Ralf Döring: Theorie und Praxis starker Nachhaltigkeit. Marburg (to be translated)

Hampicke, U. (1991) Naturschutz-Ökonomie. Stuttgart: Ulmer.

Kontoleon, A., Pascual, U, Swanson, T. (2007). Biodiversity Economics. Principles, Methods and Applications. Cambridge: Cambrigde University Press.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2003): Ecosystems and Human Well-being. Island Press.

TEEB Foundations (2010). The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Ecological and Economic Foundations. Edited by Pushpam Kumar. Earthscan, London.

M.Sc. LENC:

Nature Conservation Economics is part of the Basic Module „Landscape Ecology and Economics” and will be examined within an oral module examination (25 minutes) at the end of the course

M.Sc. Nachhaltigkeitsgeographie (60 min)/ Tourismus und Regionalentwicklung (90 min):

Nature Conservation Economics is part of the module “Sustainability Economics (Nachhaltigkeitsökonomie)”.

Students need to pass a written module exam at the end of the course consisting of one part for “Nature Conservation Economics” (WS) and one part for „Cost Benefit Analysis“ (SS).

Course aim

Human welfare and existence depends upon the living environment. The biosphere provides humans with multiple goods and services such as food, fibre, clean water and air, amenities or recreation. Decisions about conservation and/or use of the living environment need to take into account the values of these diverse goods and services. Economic tools and instrument can be useful in determining the extent of conservation and use of the living environment as well as in designing cost-effective measures to conserve habitats and ecosystems.

This course aims at making you familiar with the economic approach to nature and biodiversity conservation. You will lean about the main conservation strategies, the importance of property rights, the economic principles to value ecosystem goods and services, and the instruments of conservation and utilization policies in developed and developing countries.

lecture content:

• Approaches and instruments of environmental / nature conservation economics,
• physical aspects,
• environmental politics,
• emission trading,
• fiscal instruments of control,
• theory of public goods,
• ethical aspects and sustainability,
• case studies

M.Sc. Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation

M.Sc. Nachhaltigkeitsgeographie und Regionalentwicklung

M.Sc. Regionalentwicklung und Tourismus