Characterization Of Ecosystem Services (8) Flashcards
List the benefits people obtain from ecosystems in their categories? (15)
● Supporting services
- Nutrient cycling.
- Soil formation.
- Primary production.
● Provisioning services
- Food.
- Freshwater.
- Wood & Fiber.
- Fuel.
● Regulating services
- Climate regulation.
- Flood regulation.
- Disease regulation.
- Water purification.
● Cultural services
- Aesthetic.
- Spiritual.
- Education.
- Recreational.
What are the significance of ES? (3 for each category)?
● Provisioning services
- Security (personal, resources, disasters).
- Basic material for good material (shelter, access to goods, food).
- Health (strength, clean air & water).
● Regulating services
- Security.
- Basic material for good life.
- Health.
● Cultural services
- Good social relations (social cohesion).
- Health.
- Security.
What is the purpose of the MEF (Millenium Assessment Framework)?
To identify the indirect & direct drivers of change in our environment & to show what the consequences will be.
List the 3 MA findings.
- Ecosystem changes in the last 70 years.
- Gains & losses from ecosystem change.
- Ecosystem prospects for next 50 years.
Main point of finding #1?
Humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly & extensively than in other periods over past 70 years, resulting irreversible loss of Earth’s diversity.
Unprecedented changes seen in finding #1? (3)
- Land use.
- Ecosystems.
- Biogeochemical cycles.
Explain each unprecedented change in finding #1?
● Land use
= most land changed to cropland & pastures.
● Ecosystems
= change in structure & function via cultivation, croplands, freshwater aquaculture.
● Biogeochemical cycles
= more fertilizer usage, more human input of fertilizer.
How are ecosystems recovering/being resilient in finding #1?
Through humans implementing afforestation in cities.
Main reasons of finding #2? (2)
- Degradation of ES.
* Increased likelihood of non-linear changes.
Main message behind finding #2?
We have improved human wellbeing, poverty & employment but it has cost the environment greatly.
If we don’t change that, future generations won’t have anything to use (No sustainability).
Explain each reason of finding #2?
● Degradation of ES.
= changes to ecosystems have provided benefits (doubled water use, tripled wood harvest, doubled installed hydropower capacity).
● Increased likelihood of non-linear changes.
= evidence that changes being made in ecosystems are causing non-linear changes in ecosystems.
Why has pollination decreased?
Increased bees death.
Natural hazard regulation?
= the capacity of ecosystems to protect us from extreme event.
How has natural hazard regulation decreased? (3)
- Loss of wetlands.
- Loss of forests.
- Loss of mangroves.
Causes of non-linear changes?
Changes being made in ecosystems.
