Biological diversity as a factor of production

The forest is an ecosystem with many different functions. Image: K. Baumeister / TUM Relationship between the economic value of our ecosystems and biodiversity Can the biodiversity of ecosystems be considered a factor of production? A group of researchers under the direction of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are studying the economic benefits that farmers and foresters can obtain by focusing on several species instead of just one. The benefits that biodiversity brings to society are also being studied in an extensive literature review. The main question addressed by the study is: Does greater biodiversity increase the economic value of managed ecosystems? "We have found that the possible relationships between economic value and biodiversity are varied," says Professor Thomas Knoke , Head of the Institute of Forest Management at the TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan. Even a layman can guess the main purpose of single-species timber plantations: economic benefit through the sale of wood. But forests have a number of functions. They serve as home to a variety of animal and plant species, function as a source of wood as a raw material, have a protective function such as protecting the soil and helping combat global warming and serve recreational purposes as well.