The value of biodiversity Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is intrinsic value e.g. of biodiversity?
Intrinsic value is the inherent value and right to exist that organisms have irrespective of any value they have for humans. It is a view taken by biocentrists and rejected by anthropocentrists.
What is instrumental value e.g. of biodiversity?
Instrumental value is the value of an organism that is related to its use by humans, directly or indirectly. These often relate to the ecosystem services it provides.
What are provisioning services?
Provisioning services are the material products that an ecosystem provides which are then used by humans, for example fuel, water, food, fibre, etc.
What are regulating services?
Regulating services are the benefits to humans obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes, for example pest control, pollination, air quality, moderation of weather events, etc.
What are cultural services?
Cultural services are the nonmaterial benefits to humans obtained directly or indirectly from ecosystems, for example inspiration, cultural heritage, tourism, recreation, etc.
What are supporting services?
Supporting services are underlying systems that allow ecosystems to exist and are necessary to provide the other ecosystem services, for example nutrient cycling, soil formation, and primary production (photosynthesis).
What is meant by the complementarity effect in relation to the functioning of ecosystems?
The complementarity effect suggests that decreased species diversity should result in decreased levels of functioning due to species occupying different niches. Perfect complementarity only occurs if each additional species occupies a different niche and so adds a functionality.
What is meant by the selection effect in relation to the functioning of ecosystems?
The selection effect suggests that decreased species diversity results in a lower probability that a highly functioning species - one that has a disproportionally large impact on other species richness and the ecosystem - is present that may be important for ecosystem functioning.
What might be the consequences of decreasing species diversity in an ecosystem?
When biodiversity is lost, key ecosystem services are compromised e.g. climate regulation. For example, a plant community with reduced species may store less carbon. In addition, ecosystem stability, which is important in functioning, may vary temporally and the ecosystem’s ability to withstand environmental perturbation may also decrease due to reduced resistance and resilience (fewer species to replace functions if one is lost).
In which cases might increasing biodiversity not necessarily increase ecosystem functioning?
Depending on the particular species, increasing biodiversity may not necessarily increase ecosystem functioning as ‘best single species’ (i.e. highly functioning species) may already perform the maximum function. The ‘curve’ between diversity and functioning may also decrease in slope so that adding more species does not particularly increase functioning due to niche overlap - this is redundancy.
