10/12/2026
Much of the decisions around American public lands are being driven by "greed-maxxing" individuals who primarily see public lands as balance sheets and not service generators. However, public lands generate far more than dollars in value: they generate and maintain biodiversity and keep landscapes intact.
We can estimate how much biodiversity is worth by categorizing it then applying some basic math. The first categorical split is between "Use" and "Non-use" values (Figure 1). The most basic use value for biodiversity is the value we obtain by eating it! Consuming a fruit from the forest is an example of a direct, consumptive use. How much would you pay to eat a wild apple or make a basket from grass? Ecological economists ask people this type of question to estimate the value of consumptive uses. You may be surprised to learn that consumptive values are generally low because, even though they are the basics needed for life (food, fuel, shelter), they usually do not enter world trade markets.
This flowchart by Jackie Grant shows the many ways that biodiversity and intact ecosystems provide value above and beyond the basic dollar amount gained from extraction
