32. Biodiversity and Human Well-Being I

Question 1

biodiversity and ecosystem function

Answer 1

1. complementarity
2. facilitation
3. sampling effect

Question 2

4 types of ecosystem services

Answer 2

–Provisioning
–Regulating
–Cultural
–Supporting

Question 3

tragedy of the commons

Answer 3

an economic theory involving a shared resource in which each individual acts independents according to their own best interest, contrary to the common good
of all users, by depleting or spoiling a resource.

Question 4

biodiversity

Answer 4

The variability among living organisms from all sources
and the ecological complexes of which they are part;
includes diversity within and among species and ecosystems.

Question 5

human impacts on biodiversity

Answer 5

• Globally, 25% of mammals and 13% of birds are extinct, threatened, or near threatened (IUCN 2014)
– Much less is known about other groups of species

Question 6

why do we need to conserve biodiversity

Answer 6

• Intrinsic value
• Functional value
• Utilitarian value
• “Serendipitous” (potential) value

Question 7

complementarity

Answer 7

Increased coverage of available niche-space

Question 8

facilitation

Answer 8

Increased performance with other species

Question 9

sampling effect

Answer 9

Increased chance of having ‘great’ species

Question 10

BioDIV and BioCON

Answer 10

• Communities of varying diversity
• Choose species pool, randomly select species per plot
• Measure biomass over time for > 10 years!

Question 11

ecosystem function

Answer 11

“the habitat, biological or system properties or
processes of ecosystems”
- lead to ecosystem goods and services

Question 12

ecosystem goods and services

Answer 12

“the benefits human populations derive, directly
or indirectly, from ecosystem functions”.
“…functions provided by nature that
improve and sustain human wellbeing”

Question 13

provisioning ecosystem services

Answer 13

The delivery/production of products we need:
• Food
• Energy
• Water
• Minerals
• Medical compounds

Question 14

regulating ecosystem services

Answer 14

Services provided that regulate our environment.
• Decomposition
• Water purification
• CO2 sequestration
• Pest control
• Flood prevention

Question 15

supporting ecosystem services

Answer 15

The provision of ecosystem processes needed to support life and all other ecosystem services.
• Primary production
• Nutrient cycling
• Soil formation

Question 16

cultural ecosystem services

Answer 16

“Non-material” benefits that enrich the human experience.
– Spiritual and religious
– Recreation
– Aesthetic
– Heritage

Question 17

natural capital

Answer 17

the summation of all of the ecosystem services on Earth, available to us for free.

Question 18

ecosystem valuation

Answer 18

the assignment of economic value to an ecosystem or ecosystem services.
Often represents:
1. The monetary cost of replacing the
ecosystem service.
2. The monetary value of the capital gained
from the resource

Question 19

ecosystem services and valuation in Alberta

Answer 19

ABMI doing a lot of work right now estimating the value of ecosystem services across the province.

Question 20

ecosystem valuation: timber

Answer 20

Value of the timberproduced
– Pulp
– Saw-logs
– Veneer
In Alberta, based on a preference for 80+ year old trees

Question 21

ecosystem valuation: carbon storage

Answer 21

How much carbon is stored in forests. Takes into account succession in forests. Valued as the market cost of carbon as defined by the Alberta Government
• Was $20 tonne-1
• Increased to $30 tonne-1 in 2018

Question 22

ecosystem valuation: pollination

Answer 22

• In Alberta, mainly focused on pollination of canola
• Fields must be 1km from undeveloped land to attract wild bees
• Valued as the improvement in yield as a result of wild bee pollination

Question 23

ecosystem valuation: rangeland

Answer 23

Includes the value of forage production (for cattle) and carbon storage
• Forage was price to replace with commercial feed
• Carbon based on previous price of $15 per tonne
Based on soil, climate, and history of grazing

Question 24

ecosystem valuation: water purification

Answer 24

Quantity of sediment and excess nutrients (P and N)
in surface waters.
Value of removal of sediment and nutrients by ecosystems
• Cost to remove sediment and nutrients at a water treatment plant

Question 25

agricultural footprint

Answer 25

• Dominant human uses are croplands and pastures (cover ~40% of the earths surface).
• Fertilizer use has increased 700% in last 40 years.
• 85% of freshwater used by humans goes to agriculture – this is 10% of all global freshwater reserves
• 7–11 million km2 of forest has been cleared in last 300 years; most of the native prairies of the world, North America included, have been developed

Question 26

human footprint in Alberta

Answer 26

• natural resource economy
• human footprint directly covers 28% of Alberta
  • Energy • Forestry • Agriculture • Urban & rural residences • Industrial facilities • Transportation

Question 27

threatened species in Alberta

Answer 27

A species likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed
• Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)
• Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae)

Question 28

endangered species in Alberta

Answer 28

A species facing imminent extirpation or extinction
• Greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
• Swift fox (Pinus albicaulis)