Natural resources and ecological services

Because markets for many, if not most, ecological benefits do not exist, no market prices exist to reflect their use or nonuse values. The absence of a price is not inherently undesirable however, the lack of a price to indicate the economic value (or loss of value) of such ecological benefits makes it difficult to incorporate these benefits into planning and decision-making processes. Consequently, many of the valued natural resources and ecological services provided by nature for free are overlooked and are undervalued in both the private and public sectors. 

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