Humans and ecosystems: how do vultures provide ecosystem services? | Khan Academy

Summary

The video discusses the vital role of vultures, specifically the lammergeier, in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Known for consuming decaying carcasses and even bones, vultures help prevent the spread of harmful toxins and diseases. Their acidic digestive systems allow them to safely digest what would be dangerous for other species. Vultures, alongside other organisms, provide ecosystem services such as cleaning up dead animals, aiding in soil and water protection, and preserving biodiversity. However, threats like the drug diclofenac are causing a sharp decline in vulture populations, leading to ecological problems.

Takeaways

• 🦅 The lammergeier, a scavenger, eats bones and decaying flesh, helping clean ecosystems.
• 🦠 Vultures have highly acidic stomachs, allowing them to digest harmful substances and bones without getting sick.
• 🌱 Vultures play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by removing carcasses and preventing contamination of soil, water, and food.
• 🍃 Ecosystem services are categorized into four types: provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services.
• 💧 Provisional ecosystem services provide resources like food, water, timber, and natural energy.
• 🐝 Regulating ecosystem services include processes that maintain ecosystem health, like pollination, decomposition, and disease control by vultures.
• 🌍 Supporting ecosystem services, like photosynthesis and the water cycle, are the foundation of ecosystems and essential for air, water, and food.
• 🎨 Cultural ecosystem services provide inspiration, spiritual value, and recreation, such as bird-watching or enjoying natural landscapes.
• ⚠️ The loss of biodiversity weakens ecosystems, making it harder to provide essential services.
• 💊 Human-made chemicals like diclofenac are harmful to vultures, leading to significant population declines and increased disease risks in ecosystems.

Q & A

What does the lammergeier eat, and how is it able to digest bones?

The lammergeier eats decaying flesh and bones of dead animals. It has an incredibly acidic digestive system that allows it to digest most bones within 24 hours.

Why are vultures important to ecosystems?

Vultures play a crucial role in ecosystems by consuming decaying carcasses, which prevents the spread of diseases and contamination of soil, water, and food.

What is an ecosystem service, and how do vultures provide one?

An ecosystem service is a way that humans benefit from ecosystems. Vultures provide the ecosystem service of carcass cleanup, which helps prevent disease and contamination.

What are the four categories of ecosystem services?

The four categories are provisional (resources like food and water), regulating (processes like pollination and waste decomposition), supporting (underlying processes like photosynthesis and the water cycle), and cultural (spiritual and recreational benefits).

How does the process of photosynthesis support ecosystems?

Photosynthesis allows plants to produce oxygen and sugars, which are essential for the survival of most living organisms. It also contributes to the production of foods like fruits, seeds, and nuts.

What are some examples of cultural ecosystem services?

Cultural ecosystem services include the inspiration provided by landscapes such as the Grand Canyon, spiritual connections to nature, and recreational activities like bird-watching.

How has the use of the veterinary drug diclofenac affected vulture populations?

Diclofenac has caused a significant decline in vulture populations, as it is toxic to them when they consume the carcasses of treated cattle. This has led to a 95% reduction in vulture numbers in some areas.

What are the consequences of a decline in vulture populations?

A decline in vulture populations leads to slower carcass removal, increasing the risk of disease transmission and contamination of soil and water, which can negatively impact human health.

What is the relationship between vultures and disease control?

Vultures help control the spread of diseases by quickly consuming decaying carcasses, which might otherwise harbor harmful bacteria and toxins.

How do ecosystems contribute to human well-being?

Ecosystems provide resources like food and water, regulate environmental processes, support life through natural cycles, and offer cultural and spiritual benefits, all of which contribute to human health and well-being.