Download Ecosystem Goods and Services: Importance, Threats, and Human Impact and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Agricultural policy in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Plants, algae microorganisms Parasitic fungi, bacteria, viruses Herbivores Carnivores Soil: biotic habitat, abiotic storage & release of water, gases, transformation, fixation & mineralization of nutrients Soil flora & fauna Decomposers Litter Primary Producers Consumers Atmospheric input Output: harvest, leaching,gases, erosion, combustion Sun Conceptual Terrestrial Ecosystem Model Ecosystem Goods & Services Ecosystem goods: Physical elements that are directly, or indirectly, consumed by humans Ecosystem services: processes that produce, or support the production of, ecosystem goods •Processes that are essential to sustain life •Technologically irreplaceable, or economically infeasible to replace •Seldom traded in traditional economic markets Threats to Availability of Ecosystem Goods & Services • Land-use change and irreversible conversion • Disruption of biogeochemical cycles (N,C,P) • Invasion/introduction of exotic organisms • Toxins, pollutants, human wastes • Changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere • Climate change The Importance of Scale Ecosystem goods and services are the products of processes operative over long temporal scales and broad spatial scales. The perceptual world of the individual human is largely restricted to short time frames and local areas. Therefore, the effects of individual decisions and behaviors is not perceived to affect the functioning of ecological systems. 2 human population (size and resource use) industry agriculture atmospheric CO 2 altered biogeochemical cycles persistent organic compounds changes in land use or land cover harvesting natural populations biological invasions global climate change loss of ecological integrity Ecosystem Goods – Fishery Example • Annual marine fish harvest is ~ 100 million metric tons values at $50-100 billion/year – (most major commercial marine fisheries are in collapse due to over-harvest) • Annual freshwater fish harvest is ~ 14 million metric tons values at ~ $8.2 billion/yr • Annual freshwater sport fishery in the US is ~ $16 billion/yr Ecosystem Services – Soils Example • Contributes significantly regulation of the hydrological cycle • Shelters seeds & provides physical support for plants • Retains & delivers nutrients needed for plant growth • Contributes significantly to decomposition of organic matter and wastes • Recycles nutrients from decomposition and makes them available for plant growth • Contributes to the regulation of major element cycles (N, C, P, S) Ecosystem Service – Role of Species (Example) • Pollination of plants – ~88% of all plant species require an animal pollinator – 1/3 of human food plants are animal pollinated • Control of plant pests – ~99% of plant pests are controlled by organisms (birds, spiders, parasitic wasps and flies, viruses, etc.) • Dispersal of plant seeds – An unknown # of plant species depend on animals as their primary means of dispersal
