Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which of the following is NOT considered a provisioning service of ecosystems?
Which of the following is NOT considered a provisioning service of ecosystems?
What type of service includes benefits obtained from ecosystem processes that help regulate natural phenomena?
What type of service includes benefits obtained from ecosystem processes that help regulate natural phenomena?
Which category of ecosystem services includes nutrient cycling and primary production?
Which category of ecosystem services includes nutrient cycling and primary production?
Which of the following best describes cultural services provided by ecosystems?
Which of the following best describes cultural services provided by ecosystems?
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Which of the following is an example of an economic valuation of ecosystems?
Which of the following is an example of an economic valuation of ecosystems?
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Which of the following is considered a provisioning service?
Which of the following is considered a provisioning service?
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What is the main characteristic of cultural services?
What is the main characteristic of cultural services?
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Which of the following is NOT a supporting service?
Which of the following is NOT a supporting service?
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Which statement correctly describes regulating services?
Which statement correctly describes regulating services?
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Economic valuation of ecosystems primarily concerns which aspect?
Economic valuation of ecosystems primarily concerns which aspect?
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What is a major economic benefit of pollination services per hectare per year?
What is a major economic benefit of pollination services per hectare per year?
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Which coastal marine ecosystem provides protection from tsunamis?
Which coastal marine ecosystem provides protection from tsunamis?
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What is the value of pollination to agriculture on a global scale, as reported by Gallai et al. in 2009?
What is the value of pollination to agriculture on a global scale, as reported by Gallai et al. in 2009?
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What is one of the roles of kelp forests in marine ecosystems?
What is one of the roles of kelp forests in marine ecosystems?
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What process is negatively impacted by anthropogenic activities in ocean ecosystems?
What process is negatively impacted by anthropogenic activities in ocean ecosystems?
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Why is there a need for ecosystem accounting techniques, according to the European Environment Agency?
Why is there a need for ecosystem accounting techniques, according to the European Environment Agency?
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What year was the first evaluation effort of pollination services reported?
What year was the first evaluation effort of pollination services reported?
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What is one expected outcome of enhanced valuation models for ecosystem services?
What is one expected outcome of enhanced valuation models for ecosystem services?
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Study Notes
Course and Lecture Details
- Course: 2X Fundamental Topics in Biology 2
- Theme: From Genomes to Ecosystems
- Lecture: Ecosystem Goods and Services
Aims of the Lecture
- Students will be able to describe what an ecosystem is.
- Students will understand the four basic functions carried out by ecosystems.
- Students will understand the concept of ecosystem processes.
- Students will understand how ecosystem goods and services are linked to healthy ecosystem functioning.
- Students will be able to differentiate between supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services.
What is an Ecosystem?
- An ecosystem is a biological community occurring in a specific location.
- It includes the physical, climatological, and chemical conditions of the non-living (abiotic) environment.
- It also encompasses the interactions between the biotic and abiotic components.
Ecosystem Components
- Abiotic components: Sunlight, temperature, precipitation, substrate type, soil/water chemistry
- Biotic components: Primary producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detritivores
- Example: A coastal ecosystem includes the surf zone, front beach, dunes, available nutrients, organic matter, salinity, pH, roads, buildings, utilities, and the community of fish, insects, shellfish, birds, raccoons, humans, etc.
Ecosystem Functioning
- Ecosystem functions are the primary processes of capturing, storing, and transferring energy, CO2, nutrients, and water.
- Ecosystem functions/Primary ecosystem processes: Energy transfer, nutrient cycling, water cycling, CO2 cycling.
- Ecosystem processes: Nutrient uptake/release, decomposition, water uptake/evapotranspiration, photosynthesis, herbivory, pollination, predation/parasitism/pathogen attack.
- Ecosystem functioning is the capacity of ecosystems to carry out these processes.
Ecosystem Functioning - Example: Energy Transfer
- Energy transfers through trophic levels (e.g., producers → primary consumers → secondary consumers → tertiary consumers).
- There is an associated loss of energy (heat loss) at each level.
- Processes like photosynthesis, decomposition, nutrient uptake/release, and pollination are part of ecosystem functioning driving energy transfer.
Ecosystem Goods and Services
- Earth's ecosystems provide various benefits called "ecosystem goods and services".
- In the past, societies often underestimated the value of ecosystems because they were considered as public property.
- Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) (2000) was a global initiative launched by the UN. 2/3 of Earth's ecosystem services are in decline or threatened.
Ecosystem Goods and Services Types
- Supporting services: Necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services, including nutrient dispersal and cycling, seed dispersal, primary production, soil formation, photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, biomass production, oxygen production, water cycling, and provision of habitat.
- Regulating services: Benefits obtained from ecosystem processes regulating natural phenomena (e.g., carbon sequestration, waste recycling, water cleansing, regulation of climate regulation of the water cycle, and regulation of human diseases).
- Provisioning services (Goods): Tangible outputs from ecosystems (e.g., food, crops, wild foods, spices, minerals, energy, raw materials, genetic resources, medicinal resources, and ornamental resources)
- Cultural services: Non-material benefits from ecosystems (e.g., spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences; heritage values, cultural identity, inspiration, aesthetic appreciation of nature, recreation and tourism, and scientific discovery).
- Example of goods: Substances from plants are used in more than 50% of prescription medicines. South American forests have >5,000 plant species.
Example 1: Wetlands
- Provisioning: Floodplain recession agriculture, fresh water supply, food sources, grazing areas.
- Regulating: Flood attenuation and protection, river flow regulation, improvement of water quality, nutrient cycling and sediment retention.
- Cultural: Ecotourism, services meeting aesthetic, emotional, ethnic or spiritual needs.
- Supporting/Regulating: Biodiversity, carbon sequestration and storage, groundwater recharge.
Example 2: Pollination Services
- Essential for agricultural productivity.
- Services valued at US$117 per hectare per year.
- Global value for agriculture: €153 billion per year.
- Recent estimates place the global value of pollination services at between US$235 and US$577 billion annually, vital for food production.
Example 3: Coastal Marine Ecosystems
- Posidonia meadows: Stabilize substrates, protect shallow coasts, and offer shelter to fish.
- Mangroves: Protect from tsunamis, provide shelter for fish, cycle terrestrial runoff, have high food productivity.
- Kelp forests and coral reefs: Among the most productive ecosystems, offer commercial and recreational fisheries, tourist attractions, and coastal protection.
Example 4: Ocean Ecosystem Services
- "Biological Pump" is a critical process for regulating atmospheric CO2 levels; the ocean absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere.
- Estimated service value is about 250 billion US$.
Under Attack by Anthropogenic Activities
- Human activities damage biotic and abiotic environments impacting ecosystem goods and services.
Need to Quantify Ecosystem Goods and Services
- The European Environment Agency emphasizes the need for quantifying the impacts of ecosystem goods and services in monetary terms.
- Data can be integrated into policy-making and local management of natural resources (e.g., rewards for conserving ecosystems).
End Goal
- Achieve 2050 net-zero goals.
- Integrate ecosystem considerations into ESG reports.
- Foster sustainability through actionable policies, events, and awareness.
Latest Global Advancements (2024)
- New valuation models for ecosystem services to quantify economic and non-economic benefits.
- Governments are increasingly using these models.
- UNEP Global Resources Outlook 2024 highlights unsustainable resource extraction's relationship with the planetary crisis.
- Ecosystems Services Partnership Europe 2024 conference focuses on how degradation impacts global health and how restoration can benefit health and well-being.
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Description
This quiz covers the basics of ecosystems, including their definitions, functions, and the essential services they provide. Students will explore the interactions between biotic and abiotic components and learn to differentiate various types of ecosystem services. Test your understanding of how ecosystems contribute to health and sustainability.
