[Vermont] the science of “ecosystem services” has bloomed. This young discipline studies how nature ”through climate regulation, soil formation, crop pollination, flood protection, and so on” supports human welfare, and estimates its value in economic terms. Now, Costanza and his colleagues at UVM’s Gund Institute for Ecological Economics have launched a project to solve a central problem that this young science faces: creating a fast way for policy-makers to understand the specific ecosystem services in their area ”and the impacts of different land use decisions” whether looking at a local watershed or whole continent. Over the next year, with an $813,000 grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Costanza and his team will create a set of computer models and tools that will give a sophisticated portrait of the ecosystem dynamics and value for any spot on earth.

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