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Ecosystem services and why we must make provision for wild nature Tom Barker CAT Conference 2nd September 2012 Ecosystem services... OR... Why isn’t the world 200 miles deep in dinosaur poo? Natural building materials unming, China Fishing in Guyana. R.H. Carr, courtesy of Armorel Clinton. Wiki Commons ‘Picturesque New Guinea’ by JW Lindt Courtesy of Wiki Commons. Bronze Age, Ireland. Image courtesy of Dirk Huth, wikimedia commons Ecosystem service provision Constituents of well-being Ecosystem service s Security personal safety resource access from disasters Provi sioning food fresh wat er wood and fibre fuel Supporting nutrient cycling soil formation primary production Basi c for life livelihoods nutrition shelter goods Regulating climate floods disease clean water Cultural Aesthetic spiritual education recreation Biodiversity Health strength feeling well clean air clean water Freedom of choice and action satisfaction and opportunity for achievement Regulating services Climate GHGs, temp., rain, wind Social Hydrology Supply, drainage, storage social cohesion mutual respect Pollution ability to help retention, others Erosion removal Protection, soil building Provisioning are short term requirements; Thicker lineservices = Intensity of linkage Darker line = Increasing potential Natural hazards floods, storms, recovery between ES and human well-being for socio-economic mediation Adapted from Millennium Assessment Adapted from Millennium EcosystemEcosystem Assessment 2005 Regulating services ensure long-term provision of services. Global economic value of ES Individual ecosystem services were teased out, valued once, and summed $60 tn - “a serious underestimate of infinity” – Toman 1998 Costanza et al. 1997 Why value ecosystem services? Wealth cannot be created from nothing. It is paid for in natural resources, damage to ecosystems that regulate the nature of the planet, and in labour that frequently is exploited and underpaid. Ecosystems & biodiversity Ecosystem services don’t appear from nowhere; they’re generated by intact & healthy ecosystems, and that means biodiversity High biodiversity leads to: • • • greater productivity greater variation (range of responses to environmental change) greater chance of keystone species occurring Hooper et al. 2005 - but what is biodiversity? Biodiversity is … ? What is biodiversity – components of an ecosystem • Genes + genetic variation; • Number of individual organisms and species present; • Interactions – biotic and abiotic; • Resources and wastes; Flows of energy; Flows of matter. A more biodiverse ecosystem has more species and more interactions The basis of an ecosystem • Organic mud, worms, a slug, nematodes, a centipede, woodlice, & one grass plant – where did they come from? • Wind-blown dust & leaves, rain, shelter; • Ecosystem services: waste removal, nutrient cycling, soil formation The basis of an ecosystem • Organic mud, worms, a slug, nematodes, a centipede, woodlice, & one grass plant – where did they come from? • Wind-blown dust & leaves, rain, shelter; • Ecosystem services: waste removal, nutrient cycling, soil formation Rudimentary ecosystem LIGHT - energy DARK - shelter Components, functions & ecosystem services grass in-blown material rain water woodlice earthworms mud frass (faeces) centipede nematodes slug fungi bacteria (mineralisation of nutrients) • detritus + water • consumption & excretion (waste removal) • colonisation by fungi and bacteria • remineralisation of nutrients (nutrient cycling) • support for primary production (soil formation) The interactions are functions that lead to the provision of ecosystem services Now multiply that by a few hundred A meadow: maybe 20-30 plant species • Wild species may include wheat, rice, carrot, barley, oats, among others; • Individuals of every species contain genetic variability in every characteristic – same as us; • The community is suited to different environments, e.g. drier, wetter, pH, shade, species mix, disease. wild places matter economically Rice crops in Bangladesh lost Extended flooding leads to crop failures; Cross-breeding confers resistance to cultivated rice. Oryza rufipogon. Wiki Commons Oryza nivara. Wiki Commons Wild rice species contain genetic resistance to flooding (slows growth while the flood lasts); Wild relatives under threat from habitat destruction Oryza sativa USAID Wiki Commons Valuing ES degradation ... therefore ecosystem functioning, therefore ecosystems, therefore biodiversity .... The challenge, to: • Account for them in economic planning thus becoming ‘sustainable development’; • Include them as part of daily transactions in the market economy; • ... or find an alternative. Valuing ecosystem services valuation sub-topics Aesthetic, ‘spiritual’ and intellectual value to humans + Contributory factors to ecosystem services We know this already - we just haven’t worked out all the detail for ... Material value to humans Economic means to justify Target This could be done now using implements such as an environmental tax or CMF CMF is Carbon Maintenance Fee (Feasta), which applies economic rewards and punishments to countries for carbon sequestration performance. Funded by a Tobin Tax Links: biodiversity - ES Depends on Ecosystem service Derived from Factors & threats Food Wild relatives; wild species; high inputs Adjacent ecosystems Eutrophication; climate change (CC); population growth Water – provision & quality Forests; climate Stream flow; adjacent ecosystems Land use; CC; extreme weather Fuel & fibre Forests; land availability Forests; grassland; marine CC; habitat loss & fragmentation Genes Wild relatives; high biodiversity Genetic variation; wild populations Habitat loss & conversion; CC Pharmaceuticals Plants; bacteria; fungi; snakes Wild habitat; bioprospecting Habitat loss; CC; pollution Ornamental Fish; birds; CITES-listed Wild populations; wild habitat Habitat loss; CC; pollution Regulating ES Air quality; noise; heat (UHI); health Vegetation, esp. trees; water CC; habitat fragmentation Climate regulation Soils; vegetation; clouds, agriculture; carbon storage Marine; forest; (biodiversity influence unquantified) CC; loss of peat; habitat loss Extremes Vegetation- buffers for water & wind Wild habitat; resilience Land conversion; CC Erosion prevention Vegetation; natural habitat Biodiversity – ecosystem resilience Land conversion; CC Soil fertility Nutrient cycling; biomass input; natural soil ecology Soil animals, fungi; faeces; functional diversity Chemical agri.; human expansion; erosion; CC Pollination Vectors; proximity of wild habitat Pollinator diversity; natural habitat Habitat loss; threshold; phenology Pest control Predator diversity; fungi Functional diversity; redundancy (contingency); interactions Chemical agri.; habitat loss; loss of diversity; phenology Life cycles Healthy ecosystems; connectance Natural functioning; wild habitat Habitat loss; biodiversity loss; CC Genetic security Wild habitat; biodiversity hotspots Natural pressures and interactions Habitat loss; biodiversity loss; CC Cultural services Urban green space; accessibility Semi-natural habitat; vegetation Habitat loss+conversion; oil price From TEEB. www.teebweb.org Links: biodiversity - ES Depends on Ecosystem service Derived from Factors & threats Food Wild relatives; wild species; high inputs Adjacent ecosystems Eutrophication; climate change (CC); population growth Water – provision & quality Forests; climate Stream flow; adjacent ecosystems Land use; CC; extreme weather Fuel & fibre Forests; land availability Forests; grassland; marine CC; habitat loss & fragmentation Genes Wild relatives; high biodiversity Genetic variation; wild populations Habitat loss & conversion; CC Pharmaceuticals Plants; bacteria; fungi; snakes Wild habitat; bioprospecting Habitat loss; CC; pollution Ornamental Fish; birds; CITES-listed Wild populations; wild habitat Habitat loss; CC; pollution Regulating ES Air quality; noise; heat (UHI); health Vegetation, esp. trees; water CC; habitat fragmentation Climate regulation Soils; vegetation; clouds, agriculture; carbon storage Marine; forest; (biodiversity influence unquantified) CC; loss of peat; habitat loss Extremes Vegetation- buffers for water & wind Wild habitat; resilience Land conversion; CC Erosion prevention Vegetation; natural habitat Biodiversity – ecosystem resilience Land conversion; CC Soil fertility Nutrient cycling; biomass input; natural soil ecology Soil animals, fungi; faeces; functional diversity Chemical agri.; human expansion; erosion; CC Pollination Vectors; proximity of wild habitat Pollinator diversity; natural habitat Habitat loss; threshold; phenology Pest control Predator diversity; fungi Functional diversity; redundancy (contingency); interactions Chemical agri.; habitat loss; loss of diversity; phenology Life cycles Healthy ecosystems; connectance Natural functioning; wild habitat Habitat loss; biodiversity loss; CC Genetic security Wild habitat; biodiversity hotspots Natural pressures and interactions Habitat loss; biodiversity loss; CC Cultural services Urban green space; accessibility Semi-natural habitat; vegetation Habitat loss+conversion; oil price From TEEB. www.teebweb.org Links: biodiversity - ES Depends on Ecosystem service Derived from Factors & threats Food Wild relatives; wild species; high inputs Adjacent ecosystems Eutrophication; climate change (CC); population growth Water – provision & quality Forests; climate Stream flow; adjacent ecosystems Land use; CC; extreme weather Fuel & fibre Forests; land availability Forests; grassland; marine CC; habitat loss & fragmentation Genes Wild relatives; high biodiversity Genetic variation; wild populations Habitat loss & conversion; CC Pharmaceuticals Plants; bacteria; fungi; snakes Wild habitat; bioprospecting Habitat loss; CC; pollution Ornamental Fish; birds; CITES-listed Wild populations; wild habitat Habitat loss; CC; pollution Regulating ES Air quality; noise; heat (UHI); health Vegetation, esp. trees; water CC; habitat fragmentation Climate regulation Soils; vegetation; clouds, agriculture; carbon storage Marine; forest; (biodiversity influence unquantified) CC; loss of peat; habitat loss Extremes Vegetation- buffers for water & wind Wild habitat; resilience Land conversion; CC Erosion prevention Vegetation; natural habitat Biodiversity – ecosystem resilience Land conversion; CC Soil fertility Nutrient cycling; biomass input; natural soil ecology Soil animals, fungi; faeces; functional diversity Chemical agri.; human expansion; erosion; CC Pollination Vectors; proximity of wild habitat Pollinator diversity; natural habitat Habitat loss; threshold; phenology Pest control Predator diversity; fungi Functional diversity; redundancy (contingency); interactions Chemical agri.; habitat loss; loss of diversity; phenology Life cycles Healthy ecosystems; connectance Natural functioning; wild habitat Habitat loss; biodiversity loss; CC Genetic security Wild habitat; biodiversity hotspots Natural pressures and interactions Habitat loss; biodiversity loss; CC Cultural services Urban green space; accessibility Semi-natural habitat; vegetation Habitat loss+conversion; oil price From TEEB. www.teebweb.org Links: biodiversity - ES Depends on Ecosystem service Derived from Factors & threats Food Wild relatives; wild species; high inputs Adjacent ecosystems Eutrophication; climate change (CC); population growth Water – provision & quality Forests; climate Stream flow; adjacent ecosystems Land use; CC; extreme weather Fuel & fibre Forests; land availability Forests; grassland; marine CC; habitat loss & fragmentation Genes Wild relatives; high biodiversity Genetic variation; wild populations Habitat loss & conversion; CC Pharmaceuticals Plants; bacteria; fungi; snakes Wild habitat; bioprospecting Habitat loss; CC; pollution Ornamental Fish; birds; CITES-listed Wild populations; wild habitat Habitat loss; CC; pollution Regulating ES Air quality; noise; heat (UHI); health Vegetation, esp. trees; water CC; habitat fragmentation Climate regulation Soils; vegetation; clouds, agriculture; carbon storage Marine; forest; (biodiversity influence unquantified) CC; loss of peat; habitat loss Extremes Vegetation- buffers for water & wind Wild habitat; resilience Land conversion; CC Erosion prevention Vegetation; natural habitat Biodiversity – ecosystem resilience Land conversion; CC Soil fertility Nutrient cycling; biomass input; natural soil ecology Soil animals, fungi; faeces; functional diversity Chemical agri.; human expansion; erosion; CC Pollination Vectors; proximity of wild habitat Pollinator diversity; natural habitat Habitat loss; threshold; phenology Pest control Predator diversity; fungi Functional diversity; redundancy (contingency); interactions Chemical agri.; habitat loss; loss of diversity; phenology Life cycles Healthy ecosystems; connectance Natural functioning; wild habitat Habitat loss; biodiversity loss; CC Genetic security Wild habitat; biodiversity hotspots Natural pressures and interactions Habitat loss; biodiversity loss; CC Cultural services Urban green space; accessibility Semi-natural habitat; vegetation Habitat loss+conversion; oil price From TEEB. www.teebweb.org Economic worldviews Daly 1980 ‘Triple bottom line’ Sustainability is the real bottom line “So the question is: Do corporate executives, provided they stay within the law, have responsibilities in their business activities other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible? And my answer to that is, ‘no they do not’.” Milton Friedman - Economist, University of Chicago. “two views of the world dominate our thinking this century.... the Ecological World View...contrasts sharply with the polar-opposite Economic World View to which many governments and business leaders subscribe. You are living in a century in which the Economic World View will be superseded by the Ecological World View.” Charles Krebs - Ecologist, University of British Columbia Here’s the Economic World View in a nutshell – unsustainable resource use Ernst Ulrich von Weizsacker/Immo Lunzer – Ellen MacArthur Foundation Lessons for economic and practical planning initiatives, e.g. ZCB We have to: • Manage the economy without degrading ecosystems and reducing biodiversity; • Recognise that we cannot control wild nature; when we manipulate it we degrade it; • Recognise that human impacts are extremely costly. • Regard biodiversity as an investment ‘portfolio’ of biotic resources, ensuring stability of ES provision; • Recognise that environmental sustainability is the same as economic sustainability; • Know that our natural capital is depleted, and therefore our economic, political and social wellbeing is compromised and impermanent. If only ... The careful and objective study of the economics of ecosystems and the services they provide will make an environmentalist of anyone with the wit to understand what they are looking at Refs • Balmford A, Bruner A, Cooper P, Costanza R, Farber S, Green RE, Jenkins M, Jefferiss P, Jessamy V, Madden J, Munro K, Myers N, Naeem S, Paavola J, Rayment M, Rosendo S, Roughgarden J, Trumper K & Turner RK (2002) Economic reasons for conserving wild nature. Science 297 950-953. • Costanza, R., d`Arge, R., de Groot, R., Farber, S., Grasso, M., Hannon, B., Limburg, K., Naeem, S., O`Neill, R.V., Paruello, J., Raskin, R.G., Sutton, P., van der Belt, M., 1997. The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387 253-260. • Daly H. 1980. Economics, Ecology, Ethics: Essays Toward a SteadyState Economy. Freeman. San Francisco. • Hooper D.U., Chapin F.S. et al. 2005. Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge. Ecological Monographs 75(1) 3-35. • Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). UNEP. www.maweb.org. • TEEB. 2010. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. Ecological and economic foundations. Edited by P. Kumar. UNEP. www.teebweb.org. • Toman M.A. 1998. Why not calculate the value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital? Ecological Economics 25 5760. • See also: May R.H., Levin S.A. and Sugihara G. 2008. Ecology for bankers. Nature 451 893-895.