The economic value of wild ecosystems far outweighs the value of converting these areas to cropland, housing or other human uses. A study in the latest issue of the journal "Science" says habitat destruction costs the world the equivalent of about $250 billion each year.
Links
[1] https://www.pambazuka.org/author/contributor
[2] https://www.pambazuka.org/taxonomy/term/3298
[3] https://www.pambazuka.org/article-issue/77
[4] https://www.pambazuka.org/taxonomy/term/3314
[5] http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category.php/environment/9542