Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Review

Flashcards covering direct, indirect, and ethical/aesthetic ecosystem services provided by biodiversity, based on the lecture transcript.

How much of the present species richness is expected to be lost by the middle of the century?

About 20% of present species richness.

What are the three main ways in which biodiversity is crucial to humans?

Direct services, indirect services, and aesthetic or ethical effects.

By how much can the yield from hybrid tomatoes increase when bred with wild Peruvian tomatoes?

Yields can go up almost as much as 50%.

What medical condition is treated using chemicals derived from the rosy periwinkle plant of Madagascar?

Childhood leukemia.

What key services do mangrove swamps provide to coastal regions?

They protect coastlines from wave action and erosion, and serve as nurseries for organisms, including important human food types such as fish.

How does the economic value of a shrimp farm compare to that of an undisturbed mangrove swamp?

The value of the shrimp farm is only one third, or maybe even one quarter, of the value of the original, undisturbed mangrove swamp.

What were the projected costs for New York City to build and maintain water treatment plants?

Somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 billion to build, plus $300 million per year to maintain.

What was the estimated cost for New York City to clean up and restore wetland ecosystems instead of building water treatment plants?

About $1 billion spread over 10 years.

How do wetland habitats naturally clean source water?

They recycle dangerous chemicals, remove chemicals from water, and clarify and clean the water by filtering it through the habitat.

What is the core concern underlying the ethical and aesthetic value of biodiversity?

The inheritance left for future generations, given that lost biodiversity and extinct species cannot be brought back or repaired.