Accounting for Ecosystem Services Associated with Agricultural Production in New Zealand

Agricultural systems are intensively modified by humans to provide valued goods and services such as food and fiber, but agriculture also directly affects the delivery of other essential ecosystem services (ES) such as water quality and gas regulation.

This website is a collection of research related to the measurement, valuation and enhancement of ecosystem services on agricultural land. The research listed here is part of a six-year research project funded by the New Zealand's Foundation for Research Science and Technology (FRST).

Our Research Objectives are:

  • to identify the type, quality and quantity of ecosystem services (ES) that occur in 3 types of New Zealand agriculture--arable, pastoral, horticultural
  • to estimate the marginal economic values associated with ES change under alternative agricultural management regimes
  • to develop web-based displays, querys and maps of ES

The ultimate goal of these objectives is to enhance the flow of ecosystem services on agricultural lands, thereby improving the sustainability of agricultural production in New Zealand.

Research objectives - more details 

Want more Information?

Contact: Lead Principal Investigator: Steve Wratten
National Center for Advanced Bio-Protection Technologies
Phone: +64 3 325 2811 Extn: 8221
Email: wrattens@lincoln.ac.nz
Web Profile: Steve Wratten

Co-Principal Investigator:
Professor of Resource Economics
Commerce Division

Phone: +64 3 325 2811 Extn: 7807
Email: cullenr@lincoln.ac.nz
Web Profile: 

PO Box 85084,
Lincoln University,
Canterbury,
New Zealand

Name Oranisation Email
  Commerce Division, Lincoln University Ramesh.Baskaran@lincoln.ac.nz
Bradley Case Environment, Society & Design Division, Lincoln University Bradley.Case@lincoln.ac.nz
Treg Christopher RSENR, University of Vermont tchristo@uvm.edu
Commerce Division, Lincoln University Ross.Cullen@lincoln.ac.nz
Geoff Kerr Environment, Society and Design Division, Lincoln University Geoffrey.Kerr@lincoln.ac.nz
Harpinder Sandhu CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Harpinder.Sandhu@csiro.au
Peter Tait Environmental & resource economics, Lincoln University
Austin Troy RSENR, University of Vermont atroy@uvm.edu
Steve Wratten National Center for Advanced Bio-Protection Technologies Steve.Wratten@lincoln.ac.nz

Page last updated on: 01/03/2013