Assignment

• Tugasan PGSR Dis 2010(KKBI).doc

• _SCE_3107 _practicals
 Topic 3. Ecosystems and Their Services

• an ecosystem is a complex of plants, animals, and

microorganisms, and the abiotic environment, which all interact
to capture, store and transfer energy and materials

• ecosystem services are the benefits which people obtain from

ecosystems
Ecosystem services include

• provisioning services such as food, water

• regulating services such as flood and disease

control
• cultural services such as spiritual and
recreational benefits
• support services such as nutrient cycling
How does biodiversity relate to ecosystem services ?

• biodiversity is the source of many ecosystem goods

eg. food, genetic resources
• variability in biodiversity means a range of
ecosystem goods
• changes, especially loss of biodiversity can result in
a loss of ecosystem services
• human perception of the worth of an ecosystem
relates to the goods and services they desire from
that ecosystem
• many people devalue ecosystems which do not
provide their immediate needs
•many people do not understand the services
provided by ecosystems when they are not being
directly used
Provisioning Services – products obtained from ecosystems

Food and Fiber

• food products from plants, animals and microbes
• other products from ecosystems such as timber, silk, hemp and
jute

Fuel
• wood, dung and other biological materials (eg.ethanol from
sugar cane; bio fuels from water hyacinth) provide a source of
energy
Genetic Resources
• genes and genetic material used for plant and animal
breeding, including biotechnology

Biochemicals, natural medicines, pharmaceuticals

• plantmedicines (eg. morphine, quinine, aspirin)

• food additives (eg. alginates from seaweed)
Ornamental Resources
• animal products such as skins and shells and flowers as
ornaments

Fresh Water
•• another
example of linkages between categories –
provisioning and regulating services
Regulating services –benefits obtained from the
regulation of ecosystems processes
Air quality maintenance
• ecosystems both contribute chemicals to and extract
chemicals from the atmosphere, influencing many aspects of
air quality

Climate regulation
•Ecosystems influence climate locally (changes in land cover
temperature and precipitation) and globally (emitting
greenhouse gases)
Regulating services –benefits obtained from the
regulation of ecosystems processes
Water regulation
•the timing and magnitude of runoff, flooding and aquifer
recharge can be strongly influenced by changes in land
cover, conversion of wetlands or the replacement of forests
with croplands or croplands with urban areas.

Erosion control
•Vegetative cover plays an important role in soil retention
and the prevention of landslides.
Regulating services –benefits obtained from the
regulation of ecosystems processes
Water purification and waste treatment
•ecosystems can be a source of impurities in fresh water but
also can help to filter out and decompose organic wastes
introduced into inland waters, coastal and marine
ecosystems.

Regulation of human diseases

•Changes in ecosystems can directly change the abundance
of human pathogens such as cholera and can alter the
abundance of disease vectors such as mosquitoes.
Regulating services –benefits obtained from the
regulation of ecosystems processes
Biological control
•ecosystems changes affect the prevalence of crop and
livestock pests and diseases.

Pollination
•ecosystems changes affect the distribution, abundance and
effectiveness of pollinators.

Storm protection
•The presence of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and
coral reefs can dramatically reduce the damage caused by
hurricanes or large waves (Tsunami).
Cultural services – non material benefits people
obtained from ecosystems

Cultural diversity
• the diversity ecosystems is one factor influencing the
diversity of cultures.

Spiritual and religious values

•Many religions attach spiritual and religious values to
ecosystems or their components
Cultural services – non material benefits people obtained
from ecosystems
Knowledge systems (traditional and formal)
• Ecosystems influences the type of knowledge systems developed
by different cultures.

Educational values
•Ecosystems or their components and processes provide the basis
for both formal and informal education in many societies.

Inspiration
•Ecosystems provide a rich source of inspiration for art, folklore,
national symbols, architecture and advertising.
Cultural services – non material benefits people obtained
from ecosystems
Aesthetic values
• Many people find beauty or aesthetic value in various aspects of
ecosystem as reflected in the support for parks, scenic drives and the
selection of housing locations.

Social relations
•Ecosystems influence the types of social relations that are
established in particular cultures eg fishing societies differ from
nomadic herding or agricultural societies.

Sense of place
•Many people value the sense of place that is associated with
recognized features of their environment.
Cultural services – non material benefits people obtained
from ecosystems

Cultural heritage values

• Many societies place high value on the maintenance of either
historically important landscapes or culturally significant species.

Recreation and eco-tourism

•People often choose where to spend their leisure time based on the
characteristic of the natural or cultivated landscapes in a particular
area.
Supporting services – services necessary for the production
of all other ecosystem services
• Impacts on people are indirect or occur over a very long time
• Examples of supporting services –
- Production of supporting services
- Production of atmospheric oxygen
- Soil formation and retention
- Nutrient cycling
- Water cycling