Ecological and economic indicators for measuring erosion control services provided by ecosystems

The physical process of soil erosion leads to a range of impacts - both onsite and offsite - such as land degradation, nutrient depletion and sedimentation, which in turn affect different economic sectors that are reliant on productive capacity of land and aquatic resources. This erosion process is highly moderated by undisturbed natural ecosystems through physical and geochemical means. However, methods to quantify these linkages are scarce. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate an analytical framework for physical measurements and economic valuation of erosion control services provided by forested ecosystems. The article is divided into two parts: the first part deals with physical measurements of onsite and offsite erosion control services, and in the second part various economic valuation methods for different beneficiary groups are discussed. Ecosystem services are divided according to three beneficiary groups: (1) private benefits to farmers, (2) benefits to businesses, and (3) societal benefits. The article concludes with implications, challenges and future directions.