Paying Livestock Producers for Ecosystem Services and Land Conservation

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on ecosystem services and payments for ecosystem services.

Ecosystem Services

The good things that nature does for farms, households, communities, and economies for free.

Supporting Services

Ecosystem services that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services.

Provisioning Services

Products obtained from ecosystems, such as food, water, and raw materials.

Regulating Services

Benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes like climate regulation and water purification.

Cultural Services

Non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences.

Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES)

Incentives provided to livestock producers and other landowners for delivering ecological benefits.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

The world's largest and longest-running PES program, where the U.S. government pays landowners to conserve environmentally sensitive land.

ALUS (Alternative Land Use Services)

A program that pays farmers to retain and reconstruct natural areas such as wetlands and grasslands.

Conservation Easements

An agreement whereby a landowner voluntarily relinquishes certain development rights to ensure long-term protection of conservation values.

Fee Simple

The outright purchase or donation of land, making management the responsibility of the recipient organization.