ecosystem services chpt 4

Question 1

what are the ecosystem services ?

Answer 1

1. provisioning
2. supporting
3. cultural
4. regulating

Question 2

What are some provisioning services ?

Answer 2

1. provision of wood
   - fuelwood -> important source of domestic energy (cooking)
   - timber -> equipment used in building furniture
2. provision of food and medicinal resources
   - fertile soil in forests allow for agriculture purposes for food
   - many of the plants and food from natural rainforests have medicinal properties eg cinchona tree used to treat malaria
   ensures healthy living

Question 3

what are some regulating services ?

Answer 3

1. climate/temperature regulation (carbon sequestration)
   - tropical rainforests as significant carbon sinks -> carbon sequestration (the process of capturing and storing atmospheric co2) -> co2 is permanently stored and only gets released during decomposition (tropical rainforests contain 470billion tons of carbon)
2. regulation of water quality and supply
   trees are natural sponges -> collects and filters rainfall before releasing it into water bodies (clean water supply -> human health and wellbeing)
3. pollination
   fruits, seeds, veg crops

Question 4

what are some cultural services ?

Answer 4

1. forests as spiritual sites
   - for indigenous tribes -> forest ecosystems often have spiritual values -> integral to cultural identity
   eg monkey forest sanctuary (indonesia)
   sacred site for the balinese hindu community (temple built in the forest is an important spiritual centre)
2. forests as ecotourism sites (therapeutic landscapes)
   -scenic beauty of tropical forests encourage tourism -> revenue for preservation of park
   -economic assistance due to increased employment opportunities

Question 5

what are some supporting services ?

Answer 5

1. habitat for living species
   - high diversity of flora helps support forest, serving as habitats (basis for all ecosystem and services)
2. nutrient cycling
   - movement and exchange of inorganic and organic matter
   back into the production of matter (promoting equilibrium in the ecosystem)
   a. hydrological cycle
   natural flow of clean water (regulating salinity -> healthy growth of plants and animals + agriculture activities)
   b. carbon cycle
   process (photosynthesis, respiration) where carbon is transferred btwn ocean, atmosphere, soil and living things
   c. nitrogen cycle
   nitrogen moves through living and non living things by changing states - > promotes soil fertility, growth of plants and supporting biodiversity

Question 6

What is the impact of human activities on natural environment ?

Answer 6

human activities may bring harmful environmental impacts and compromise the ability of the environment to offer ecosystem services

Question 7

How does humans cause destruction of habitat in ecosystems ?

Answer 7

human activities such as mining and agriculture can further lead to environmental pollution. this disrupts nutrient cycles and compromises the ability of the ecosystem to offer ecosystem services such as provision of clean water and food.

Question 8

How do humans contribute to the pollution of the natural environment ?

Answer 8

1. agriculture activities