ARIES redefines ecosystem services assessment and valuation in
decision-making. The ARIES approach to mapping benefits,
beneficiaries, and service flows is a powerful new way to
visualize, value, and manage the ecosystems on which the human
economy and well-being depend. ARIES is a suite of applications,
all delivered to end users through the Web. All applications
have been designed with the help of professional usability
engineers, and are accessible through a standard web browser.
Along with the main toolkit (Ecosystem Services Explorer,
Valuation Database, and Biodiversity Explorer), custom ARIES
interfaces can be built to simplify use by specific groups of
end users. ARIES can help improve our understanding of the value
to humans of conserving high biodiversity areas. At the same
time, it can help conservation planning by identifying crucial
areas to protect the flow of ecosystem services to their
beneficiaries. ARIES is being used in Madagascar to plan
conservation and enhance its value for local communi