Services

Supporting Services - Pollination

  • pollination makes flowers bloom → food

  • pollinators help plants reproduce

  • diversity of pollinators = plant diversity

  • 80% of all plant species rely on pollinators

  • pollination leads to other ecosystem services + benefits

  • $34 billion per annum in economic benefit from pollination alone

Supporting Services - Interrelationship Between Forests and Water Quality

  • root structures help trap, infiltrate and purify water resources

  • root systems holds soil together → decrease silting of water

  • forest transpiration, increased condensation → increase precipitation, e.g. forests create water

Regulating Services - Carbon Sequestration (carbon sink), Climate regulation + Rainforests

  • photosynthesis - removes CO2 from atoms, converts to O2 and stores carbon in trees and soil

  • decrease CO2 in atmosphere

  • deforestation + forest fires release large amounts of CO2 in atoms

  • amazon peoduces 20% of the worlds O2

  • rainforests reflect solar energy back into space → decrease temperature due to reflective surfaces of leaves

Cultural Services

  • animism - the belief that nature is god

  • paganism -