listing of ontologies relevant to crop research

Rainforests harbour more than half of the terrestrial species on Earth. Their destruction represents a huge loss to the planet and its people, which cannot be adequately summarised in economic terms. However, in order to prevent further deforestation, rainforests have to be shown to be worth more alive than dead. The myriad animals, plants, fungi and bacteria in the rainforest web of life contribute to ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling. In turn, humanity depends on the resulting ecosystem goods and services including food, medicines, fibres, watershed protection, disease control, fuelwood and cultural and spiritual identity. We depend on forests to such an extent that deforestation was a factor in several previous societal collapses, including the demise of the Maya civilisation. One reason for the continued loss of tropical rainforests is the failure of markets, and society in general, to adequately value rainforest ecosystem services in economic or financial terms. Going beyond carbon, this report investigates the economic value of rainforests, distinguishing between direct and indirect use values. Direct use values refer to ecosystem goods and services that are used directly by humans, such as food and fuels. Indirect use values are typically enjoyed by people residing outside rainforest ecosystems, such as carbon storage, rainfall generation and watershed protection. Land users usually have an incentive to preserve ecosystem