Nature Ecosystem Services and its Application on the Studies of Geodiversity: a Review

Abstract

The concept of ecosystem services is already established in qualitative valuation studies of nature. However, such studies have focused mainly on the biotic variety of the environment, with few approaches directed at the abiotic components. This article aims to make a general review about the concept, also on the applicability of its use in the study of geodiversity. For this, a bibliographic review was carried out in consultation with the available databases to establish a history for the use of the ecosystem services’ concept, as well as to draw a parallel, in brazilian publications, of the studies that apply the concept in the evaluation of biodiversity and geodiversity. Although the terminology has been developed over the last four decades, there was a strong discrepancy in the use of the concept, extremely restricted to works focusing on living nature. Since the planet’s natural diversity (bio and abiotic) must be addressed in a joint way for the conservation or planning of use, it is necessary to encourage interdisciplinary and integrative studies, the vision from the ecosystem services presents itself as an appropriate and compatible methodological option.

Keywords

• Ecosystem services
• geodiversity
• natural diversity