2-Ecosystem Services-Sp25-TO POST

Ecosystem Services & One Health

Overview

  • The concept of Ecosystem Services emphasizes the functions provided by natural ecosystems that bring value to humanity.

  • The One Health approach integrates health across people, animals, and the environment.

One Health

  • Definition: Acknowledges the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

  • Example: Vaccination of animals against rabies contributes to human health protection.

  • Impact of Environment on Health: Soil quality can directly influence crop growth, which in turn affects human nutrition and health.

  • Source: CDC site on One Health provides more insights - https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/index.html

Ecosystem Services

  • Definition: Ecosystem services refer to essential functions of natural systems that provide free benefits to humans. They are categorized into:

    • Regulating Services: Maintain climate and resources.

    • Provisioning Services: Provide material benefits.

    • Supporting or Habitat Services: Offer habitat for organisms.

    • Cultural Services: Include recreational and aesthetic benefits.

  • Graphic Source: https://ecology.fnal.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Ecosystem-Services.jpg

Regulating Services

  • Role: Stability of climate and resources often goes unnoticed until disturbed.

  • Examples of Regulating Services:

    • Air, soil, and water quality maintenance.

    • Climate moderation.

    • Carbon sequestration/storage.

    • Regulation of water flow.

    • Pollination services.

Example: Flood Control

  • Wetlands: 1-acre wetlands can store approximately three acre-feet of water (~1 million gallons), recommended by FEMA for flood control.

  • Notably, beavers can create dam systems that restore wetlands, providing additional flood mitigation benefits.

    • Study: Law et al. (2017) highlights beaver management's potential in flood-prone areas.

Example: Pollination

  • Pollinators are essential for 75% of crops (e.g., cocoa, coffee).

  • Various species act as pollinators, including:

    • Wild bees (20,000 species)

    • Moths, flies, beetles, and butterflies

    • Bats, birds, and other animals.

  • Economic Value: Estimated at approximately $235 billion to $577 billion for crops needing pollinators (FAO).

  • Biodiversity Impact: Pollinators contribute to the biodiversity of wild plants, which supports other ecosystem services.

Example: Scavenger Roles

  • Lack of vultures can lead to increased rotting carcasses, promoting populations of disease-spreading scavengers like rats.

  • Vultures: Serve as a barrier against disease spread due to their highly acidic stomachs, which kill most pathogens found in carrion.

Provisioning Services

  • Definition: Delivery of tangible resources from ecosystems to humans, such as:

    • Food (e.g., wild fish, crops)

    • Clean water

    • Raw materials and medicinal resources.

Example: Drinking Water Quality

  • Wastewater Treatment: Treated wastewater can be reused for drinking water (e.g., Lake Livingston's system for Houston).

    • Water from Dallas/Ft Worth accounts for ~50% of lake drinking water.

    • Water undergoes natural purification before meeting EPA standards.

  • Source: https://www.nap.edu/read/13303/chapter/4#25

Example: Medicinal Plants

  • Certain plant families are crucial for providing medicinal resources; the role of specific plants should be explored (e.g., foxglove/Digitalis purpurea).

Cultural Services

  • Include activities like tourism, recreation, and hunting, which have quantifiable benefits for mental health and community well-being.

Supporting Services

  • Provide habitats for diverse organisms and maintain biodiversity, essential for ecosystem stability.

  • Importance of biodiversity emphasized - link to relevant resources, including video content on supporting services and biodiversity.

Economics of Ecosystem Services

  • Estimated Value: In 1997, the minimum value of ecosystem services was assessed at $33 trillion/year, compared to the global GNP of about $18 trillion.

    • Source: Costanza et al. (1997), Nature 387:253-260

Interconnections and Questions

  • Examining how public health relates to ecosystem services, including degradation factors and biodiversity loss implications.

  • Stressors Impacting Ecosystem Services:

    • Chemical contaminants and greenhouse gases.

    • Overexploitation of animals and habitat loss due to urban development and agricultural expansion.

    • Biological threats like pathogens and invasive species (Sanchez-Bayo & Wyckhuys, 2019).

Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases

  • Significant human impact on climate change over the last century, with a strong scientific consensus.

    • Main Greenhouse Gases:

      • Carbon dioxide (CO2)

      • Methane (CH4)

      • Nitrous oxide (N2O)

      • Fluorinated gases

  • The potency and persistence of these gases contribute to warming effects significantly.

  • Sources for Further Study: EPA resources and relevant climate change videos.

Ocean Acidification

  • Increased CO2 leads to substantially more acidic ocean conditions affecting marine life and biodiversity.

    • Implications for species like pteropods and corals, crucial for ecosystem stability.

Biodiversity Loss

  • Current estimates show a 41% decline in insect species, crucial for ecosystem services.

  • Predictions warn of possible extinction for ~40% of insect species in the coming decades.

    • Stressors like habitat loss, pollution, and climate change play vital roles.

Conclusion

  • Emphasis on the necessity of preserving ecosystem services for human health, biodiversity, and environmental stability.

  • Awareness of these connections can guide conservation and sustainability efforts.