Introduction of Ecosystem services
Nature has been serving mankind for a very long period in almost all fields. The immense products that we obtain from the environment are priceless. These various products and services that mankind obtains from the environment are known as ecosystem services. The ecosystem services include the agroecosystem, forest ecosystem, grassland ecosystems, and aquatic ecosystems.
To maintain human health and stability, the ecosystem provides clean air, extreme weather mitigation, crops and many more. Apart from these, this also includes the provisioning of clean drinking water, the decomposition of wastes and the resilience and productivity of food ecosystems.
In the year 2006, according to Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), ecosystem services are categorised into four major criteria. They are supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural.
These are widely discussed below:
Regulating Ecosystem Services:
The regulating services provided by the ecosystem are listed as:
The purified water and air by the environment.
Availability of the most important compound,i.e., carbon and the climatic regulations.
The process of predation occurring in the environment regulates the prey population.
The process to control biological pests and disease control.
Pollination is involved in the environment.
Regulated the disturbance of the environment which includes flood protection.
Provisioning Ecosystem Services:
The provisioning services of the ecosystem include the following mentioned points:
Food, crops, wild foods, and spices. This also includes seafood and game.
Different raw materials include lumber, skins, fuelwood, organic matter, etc.
Medicinal resources including pharmaceuticals, chemical models, etc.
The energy which includes hydropower, biomass fuels
Ornamental resources include fashion, handicrafts, jewellery, pets, etc.
Cultural Ecosystem Services:
The cultural services of the ecosystem include:
Recreational experiences include ecotourism, outdoor sports and recreation.
Therapeutics include ecotherapy, social forestry and animal-assisted therapy.
Spiritual and historical includes the religious or heritage value or nature.
Cultural services include books, film, painting, folklore, national symbols, advertising, etc.
Supporting Ecosystem Services:
These are also considered redundant services. These services provided ecosystem includes nutrients, cycling, primary production, soil formation, habitat Provision. These are not only limited to these services but also includes services that help the ecosystem to keep on supplying the other services also which includes food supply, flood regulation and water purification.
The relationship between humans and ecosystems is of great value. With the growing need for survival in the environment, people are harassing the environment. It is high time to get proper concentration on the environmental issues and use them in a proper manner.
FAQs on Ecosystem Services
1. Mention an example of the relationship between humans and the natural ecosystem.
The described example below gives a proper relationship between humans and the ecosystem.
Through the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Department of Defence lands military installations of the US military that has funded substantial ecosystem services to the local communities which include benefits like carbon storage, resilience to climate and endangered species habitat. In the year 2020, Duke University will provide $110 million in ecosystem services per year. If no base is present, then they provide $40 million more.
2. What are the major methods for valuing ecosystem services?
There are 6 major methods for valuing ecosystem services are:
Avoided cost:
In the absence of services, society avoids the cost.
Replacement cost:
Sometimes man-made systems are replaced by ecosystem services.
Factor income:
Services are provided to enhance the incomes.
Travel costs:
The cost established to maintain the services which need travel costs.
Hedonic pricing:
Some of the prices provided by the people to satisfy the services are hedonic pricing.
Contingent valuation:
The valuation of alternatives to pose some hypothetical scenarios is known as contingent valuation.
3. Describe briefly the nutrient cycling.
Through the biotic and abiotic beings, the nutrient cycle is carried out. Most of the major nutrients include carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. These are mainly found in the ocean. These are consumed by the organisms present in the marine environment and by the food web present in the environment, these are transferred from one environment to another environment. When the organisms die, due to the decomposition of these organisms, the nutrients are transferred to the neighbouring environment and the process continues.
4. Mention some of the regulatory services?
Some of the major regulatory services are :
Climate regulation:
The biotic and abiotic substances regulate a huge amount of climatic changes. These gases include CO2 and other greenhouse gases too. This further affects the climate conditions.
Waste treatment and disease regulation:
When the wastes are transported to the marine ecosystems, the wastes dilute and detoxify preventing major diseases.
5. Mention some of the provisional services.
Some of the major provisional services are:
Forest products:
Forests provide a large number of services which includes timber which includes round woods, sandalwood, etc.
Marine products:
Fibres and fuel, biochemical or genetic resources are some of the major substances obtained from marine ecosystems.
6. What are the Cultural Ecosystem Services?
Cultural services in the ecosystem include recreational experiences for enjoyment and a sense of healthy social bonding. These include activities like outdoor sports, ecotourism, and recreation. Science and education like scientific discoveries, the use of natural systems for school projects, etc. Historical and spiritual like religious nature, inherent or heritage value, etc. A culture like films, paintings, national symbols, etc. will constitute cultural ecosystem services. Such services foster a sense of bonding among people, encourage social cohesion, and play an important part in maintaining human health as well as well-being.
7. What are Forest Ecosystem Services?
The forest ecosystem services provide critical and diverse functions and values to human society. It supports conservation and biodiversity maintenance as prime habitat for many types of species. Forests store carbon and seize growth from the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change mitigation and the carbon cycle. The forest ecosystem produces and conserves soil, stabilizes streamflow, and water runoff. It also reduces the risk of natural disasters like droughts, floods, and landslides.
