GEL 2.2 Ecosystem Services in Urban Neighbourhoods

Why are urban neighbourhoods regarded as ecosystems?

ie. A man-made concrete canal in Bishan AMK park was transformed into a naturalised river, allowing more organisms to thrive in the aquatic ecosystem→ brought back wildlife back into the park→ enhancing the neighbourhood’s biodiversity

This shows that;

(a) activities carried out by people may directly/indirectly change the ecosystems in both positive and negative ways

(b) every aspect in ecosystems depends on one another directly/indirectly

What are ecosystem services?

The benefits brought about by nature to people→ critical to humans’ survival→ optimised when natural environment is healthy and thriving

They consist of;

1) Provisioning services

2) Regulating services

3) Cultural services

4) Supporting services

What are provisioning ecosystem services?

Tangible resources that people obtain from ecosystems like food, water, and wood

• Food is one of the most important provisioning services provided by nature→ obtained through agriculture and fisheries

ie, Food is grown in urban community gardens where edibles are planted on HDB rooftops

What are regulating ecosystem services?

Benefits obtained from the regulation of various ecosystem processes (climate, disease outbreak, and flood regulation):

• these processes work together→ ensure ecosystems are clean, functional, sustainable, and resilient to changes

• in an urban neighbourhood (ie, Bishan-AMK):

  (a) microclimate regulation

  • trees provide shade → lowering air and surface temperatures

  • forests cool areas → generating rainfall

  (b) flood mitigation

  • vegetation cover reduces surface runoff→ retains water in the soil (water flow regulation)

  • a key service provided by natural land cover

  (c) air and water quality control

  • trees and plants regulate air quality→ remove pollutants from the atmosphere

What are cultural ecosystem services?

Intangible benefits people obtain from ecosystems (aesthetic experiences, educational opportunities and recreational activities)

In an urban neighbourhood:

green spaces→ 1) aesthetic appreciation

2) stress-relieving activities

• May improve people’s mental and physical health

• Fosters social belonging and group identity

• ie, heritage trees, skyrise greenery, community Gardens

  ∴ Sense of place strengthened
  

ie #2, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve→ recreational activities like hiking + educational opportunities like fieldwork for geog students

What are supporting ecosystem services?

Services necessary for the functioning of all other ecosystem services ( +soil formation, pollination and photosynthesis)

(a) Soil Formation

• soil is essential for the health of all terrestrial organisms:

  1) provides habitats for billions of organisms

  2) contributes to biodiversity

  3) acts as a water filter

• Ensures human activities like agriculture can occur

(b) Pollination

• wild bees are vital for crop pollination→ ensure that crops can reproduce to provide food for animals and humans

(c) Photosynthesis

• plants absorb CO₂ and release O₂ → maintains O₂ content of the Earth’s atmosphere

  ∴ All other ecosystem services can function