Growing demands for food, fibre and fresh water are straining nature’s ability to produce these and other essential services, with worrying implications for both people and the environment.

Dr. Elena M. Bennett develops approaches to measure, map and model these interconnected ecosystem services to ensure their long-term sustainability. Her work provides practical information and easy-to-use tools that governments, industries and communities need to understand the full ecosystem impacts of planning decisions. These tools help local governments develop land-use plans that, among other things, accommodate the need for development and connect fragmented forests to retain the region’s rich biodiversity.

The goal is to balance humanity’s need for a diverse mixture of ecosystem services (e.g., food, fibre, fresh water, recreation, spiritual fulfilment) with our reliance on functioning ecosystems to provide these services in the future.

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