EcosystemServices

Forest Ecosystem Services

Major Types of Ecosystem Services

• Forests provide four main types of ecosystem services:

  • Provisioning Services: Products directly harvested (e.g., timber, food, medicine).

  • Regulating Services: Benefits derived from ecosystem processes (e.g., climate regulation, water purification).

  • Cultural Services: Non-material benefits (e.g., recreation, spiritual enrichment).

  • Supporting Services: Necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services (e.g., nutrient cycling, soil formation).

Influence on Human Well-Being

• Ecosystem services from forests enhance human well-being through:

  • Security: Access to resources and safety from disasters (flood mitigation).

  • Basic Materials: Timber and freshwater are vital for sustenance and construction.

  • Health: Availability of nutritious food and clean air.

  • Good Social Relations: Forests provide spaces for community interaction and cultural practices.

  • Freedom of Choice: Access to diverse resources allows for varied livelihoods.

Ecosystem Defined

• Ecosystem: Interconnected communities of organisms (biotic) and their environment (abiotic) allowing energy flow and nutrient recycling.

• Examples of ecosystems include:

  • Small ecosystems (e.g., ponds) to larger ones (e.g., Earth encompassing many ecosystems).

  • A Forest Ecosystem is specifically defined by forests as a major component.

Forest Ecosystem Composition and Carrying Capacity

• Typical Composition:

  • Consists of trees, understory plants, wildlife, soil, and microbes (decomposers).

  • Relationships:

    • Producers: Plants produce food.

    • Consumers: Herbivores eat plants; carnivores eat herbivores.

• Carrying Capacity: Maximum number of individuals of a species an ecosystem can sustain.

  • Limited by resource availability (food, habitat, etc.).

  • Impacts on species predation dynamics.

Human Dependency

• Human well-being is reliant on sustainable ecosystem services. The planet's capacity to support humanity has limits ( carrying capacity).

Planetary Carrying Capacity for Human Beings

• Net Primary Production (NPP): Total carbohydrates produced in an ecosystem, indicating the energy available for consumption.

• Research shows the allocation of NPP to human consumption nearing its upper limits.

Provisioning Services

• Forests supply critical resources:

  • Timber: Essential for construction and paper product.

  • Wild Food: Source of nutrients for billions.

  • Natural Medicine: Many medicinal plants, e.g., ginseng.

  • Water Resources: Forests enhance water conservation and quality.

  • Pest Regulation and Pollination: Habitats for species that regulate pests and pollinate crops.

Regulating Services

• Forests help regulate:

  • Air Quality: Absorbing CO2 and releasing O2.

  • Climate: Influence on local and global climate through greenhouse gas balance.

  • Water Regulation: Manage flooding and enhance water purification.

Cultural Services

• Non-material benefits from forests:

  • Cultural Diversity: Preserve local cultures and identities.

  • Spiritual Value: Sites for religious activities.

  • Knowledge Systems: Indigenous practices relating to forest use.

  • Recreation and Ecotourism: Natural destinations for leisure and cultural enrichment.

Sacred Forests and Cultural Heritage

• Some forests considered sacred by indigenous communities play vital cultural roles.

  • Examples include:

    • Sacred Groves in India: Sites for religious ceremonies.

    • Bodhi Tree in Nepal: Significant religious symbol.

Supporting Services

• Essential for all other ecosystem services:

  • Soil Formation: Through decomposition of organic matter and rock weathering.

  • Photosynthesis: Major carbohydrate production occurs in forests.

  • Nutrient Cycling: Recycling of nutrients important for tree growth.

  • Water Cycling: Trees release water vapor, contributing to precipitation.

Constituents of Well-Being

• Connection between ecosystem services and human well-being:

  • Security: Resource access and personal safety.

  • Provisioning: Food, water, fiber, and fuel stability.

  • Supporting: Nutrient cycling and primary production.

  • Regulating: Climate regulation and water purification.

Trade-off Dilemmas of Forest Ecosystem Services

• Enhancement of one service may diminish another:

  • Example: Timber harvesting can reduce biodiversity or water quality.

  • Historical context of deforestation in Mediterranean countries leads to long-term costs.

Summary

• Forests are critical for providing a variety of ecosystem services linked to human well-being.

• Sustainable use of these services is essential to balance human needs and ecological health.

• The concept of carrying capacity emphasizes the need to consider limits of resource utilization.