Ecosystem services

California Academy of Sciences

16 Apr 201409:03

Summary

TLDRThis script discusses the critical role of biodiversity for human well-being through ecosystem services. It highlights direct benefits like food and medicine, indirect services such as coastal protection by mangroves, and the intangible ethical and aesthetic values. The narrative underscores the economic and future generational impacts of biodiversity loss, urging stewardship of our ecosystems.

Takeaways

🌱 Biodiversity provides essential ecosystem services that are directly beneficial to humans.
🍅 Direct services include food, clothing, housing, transportation, medicines, and energy derived from various ecosystems.
🌿 The genetic diversity in wild species, like Peruvian tomatoes, can significantly increase the yield of cultivated crops.
🏠 Biodiversity offers shelter through the use of biological materials, such as trees for housing.
💊 Many medicines originate from studying organisms and their interactions, exemplified by the rosy periwinkle's role in treating childhood leukemia.
🌊 Indirect services like mangrove swamps protect coastlines from erosion and provide nurseries for important food sources.
💰 The economic value of ecosystems can be quantified, with mangroves offering more value than shrimp farms that replace them.
🚰 Restoring ecosystems can be more cost-effective than building treatment plants, as seen in New York City's water source protection.
🌍 Ethical and aesthetic values of biodiversity are profound, impacting what we leave for future generations.
🌳 The loss of biodiversity is irreversible, emphasizing our role as stewards of the environment.
🌈 Biodiversity contributes to a rich, stable ecosystem, which is crucial for the long-term health of our planet.

Q & A

Why is biodiversity important to humans?
-Biodiversity is important to humans because it provides ecosystem services such as direct services (food, clothing, housing, transportation, medicines, and energy), indirect services (like protection from storms and erosion), and aesthetic or ethical effects.
What percentage of species richness is predicted to be lost by the middle of the century?
-It is predicted that about 20% of the present species richness will be lost by the middle of the century.
How does biodiversity contribute to food production?
-Biodiversity contributes to food production by providing a variety of food types that originated in diverse ecosystems. For example, wild types of tomatoes in Peru can be bred with cultivated varieties to increase yield by almost 50%.
What is an example of a direct service provided by biodiversity?
-An example of a direct service provided by biodiversity is shelter, as we originally built housing out of biological materials like trees.
How has biodiversity contributed to the development of medicines?
-Biodiversity has contributed to the development of medicines by providing organisms that produce chemicals used in treatments. For instance, the rosy periwinkle plant from Madagascar produces chemicals used to treat childhood leukemia.
What are indirect services provided by healthy ecosystems?
-Indirect services provided by healthy ecosystems include protection from wave action and erosion, nurseries for various organisms, and the production of food sources like fish.
Why are mangroves important for coastal protection?
-Mangroves are important for coastal protection because they form a semi-marine forest that protects the coastline from wave action and erosion.
What is the economic value of mangroves compared to shrimp farms?
-The economic value of mangroves is significantly higher than that of shrimp farms because they provide protection against storms and erosion and produce food sources like fish, which are only a fraction of the value provided by the mangroves.
How did New York City address the issue of declining water quality?
-New York City addressed the issue of declining water quality by choosing to restore the environment and maintain biodiversity in the ecosystems, which was a more cost-effective solution compared to building treatment plants.
What is the ethical and aesthetic value of biodiversity?
-The ethical and aesthetic value of biodiversity is the non-economic value that is difficult to quantify. It includes the responsibility we have as stewards of the environment and the value of the environments we leave for future generations.
Why is it important to maintain biodiversity for future generations?
-Maintaining biodiversity is important for future generations because it ensures a more diverse and stable ecosystem, which is crucial for the health of the planet and the well-being of humans.