A common assumption is that ecosystem services respond linearly to changes in habitat size. This assumption leads frequently to an all or none choice of either preserving coastal habitats or converting them to human use. However, our survey of wave attenuation data from field studies of...

The conservation of biodiversity is a major environmental issue, one that promises to remain at or near the top of the environmental agenda for the foreseeable future. The loss of biodiversity affects human welfare as well as being lamentable for its own sake. Humans depend on natural systems to...