Overview
This lecture covers the four main types of ecosystem services, provides definitions and examples, and discusses human impacts (anthropogenic disruptions) on these services.
Types of Ecosystem Services
- Ecosystem services are benefits that natural ecosystems provide to humans, directly or indirectly.
- The four categories of ecosystem services are provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting.
Provisioning Services
- Provisioning services are products obtained from ecosystems, such as food, water, wood, and medicinal plants.
- Example: Fish caught for food, timber for building, and plants used for medicine.
Regulating Services
- Regulating services are benefits from the regulation of ecosystem processes (e.g., climate regulation, water purification).
- Example: Wetlands filtering water and forests absorbing COâ‚‚ are regulating services.
Cultural Services
- Cultural services are non-material benefits people gain from ecosystems, such as recreation, aesthetic enjoyment, spiritual experiences, and education.
- Example: Hiking, enjoying scenic landscapes, or hunting for enjoyment.
Supporting Services
- Supporting services are fundamental processes that sustain other ecosystem services, like pollination, nutrient cycling (e.g., nitrogen cycle), and photosynthesis.
- Example: Bees pollinating plants and nutrient cycles supporting agriculture.
Human Disruption of Ecosystem Services
- Human-caused (anthropogenic) disruptions include overfishing, pollution, climate change, urban sprawl, and deforestation.
- These disruptions can reduce provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services.
- Example: Urban development eliminates green spaces, harming cultural and supporting services.
Examples of Ecosystem Services
- Peat bogs sequester carbon and filter water (supporting and regulating services).
- Coastal wetlands filter nutrients from runoff before it reaches the ocean (regulating service).
- Beaches and national parks provide recreational and aesthetic value (cultural service).
Key Terms & Definitions
- Ecosystem service — direct or indirect benefit ecosystems provide to humans.
- Provisioning service — products obtained from ecosystems (food, water).
- Regulating service — benefits from the regulation of ecosystem processes (climate, water purification).
- Cultural service — non-material benefits, including recreation, spiritual, and educational values.
- Supporting service — basic processes that sustain other ecosystem services (pollination, nutrient cycling).
- Anthropogenic — originating from human activity.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review examples for each type of ecosystem service.
- Prepare for Unit 2.3 in the next lesson.