ecosystem service and sustainability Flashcards
(29 cards)
What are the four categories of services provided by ecosystems?
- Provisioning services: products obtained from ecosystems
- Regulating Services: benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes
- Cultural Services: nonmaterial benefits obtained from ecosystems
- Supporting Services: services necessary for the production of all ecosystem services
Give an example of a provisioning service.
Energy
Give an example of a regulating service.
Flood prevention
Give an example of a cultural service.
Educational
Give an example of a supporting service.
Biological diversity maintenance
What is an example of an ecosystem service that Death Valley can provide?
Enjoyment of activities like walking through a natural environment
What is an example of an ecosystem service provided by urban parks and gardens?
Clean air, recreational spaces for walking
What is meant by valuation of ecosystem services?
Putting a monetary value on ecosystem services to justify their restoration or protection
What is the purpose of valuing ecosystem services?
To make ecosystem services visible in economic decisions, encouraging conservation
What is the difference between a good and a service?
- Goods are tangible commodities (like food, fiber, timber)
- Services are valuable functions (like clean air, water purification)
Do ecosystems make goods?
Yes
What is the basic method of contingent valuation?
Uses surveys to ask people how much they would be willing to pay for preserving or restoring an ecosystem
In what famous pollution case was the contingent valuation method applied?
Exxon Valdez oil spill case
Why did New York City spend 1.5 billion dollars on improving the ecosystem health of the Catskill Mountains?
Cheaper to invest in reducing pollution in the Catskills than to build a $6–8 billion filtration plant plus $300 million per year for operations
How can the hedonic pricing method be used to slow down urban development?
By showing that land values are higher where environmental quality is better
How did the Brundtland commission define sustainable development?
Ensures that the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
What was Ludwig’s critique of the sustainability concept?
- Natural resources are often overharvested (tragedy of the commons)
- It’s difficult to determine safe harvesting rates because ecosystems are complex
- Population growth may outpace sustainable harvest rates (Malthusian dilemma)
What are the three principal pathways towards sustainability according to the Tellus Institute?
- Conventional worlds
- Barbarization
- Great transition
What are the global consequences of meat-heavy diets?
- Generate more greenhouse gases
- Require more land
- Contribute to biodiversity loss
What dietary choice has a lower greenhouse gas burden?
Vegetarian diets
What factors should a consumer consider when shopping for sustainability?
- Choose plant-based foods over meat
- Consider the environmental cost of transportation
- Recognize that organic is not always better if shipped long distances
How is the Ecological Footprint calculated for an agricultural good?
By measuring the land area needed to produce the food, including impacts like CO2 emissions and land for reforestation
How is the ecological footprint calculated for CO2 emissions?
By calculating the amount of forest area needed to absorb the emitted CO2
What is biocapacity?
Ability of ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and absorb waste (like CO2), using current management and technology
