In this video Rachelle Gould, Alison Adams and Joshua Morse discuss their research recently published in People and Nature ‘Cultural ecosystem services and decision-making: How researchers describe the applications of their work‘

People connect with nature in numerous intangible ways. A hunt to provide a special meal, a calming walk along a wind-whipped beach, and a ceremony to honor forest deities are just a few examples of these connections, often called “cultural ecosystem services.” We know these connections are fundamental to many cultures, and that they’re critically important for well-being, but is cultural ecosystem services research actually affecting decision-making? We did a literature review of more than 200 studies on cultural ecosystem services to find out! The result: about half of cultural ecosystem services studies connect their findings to decision-making in some way, but very few report actually influencing decisions. How can we work toward more effectively integrating these critical values into environmental management?