Conserving sustainable ecosystem services

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Jacobsen ◽  
Olivier Dangles
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Limited Area ◽  
Traditional Values ◽  
Unique Species ◽  
Effective Conservation ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Sinks

Chapter 10 focuses on ecosystem services as a key concept to study the conservation of high altitude waters. Despite their limited area, these ecosystems provide important provisioning, regulating, and cultural services on both local and global scales. They are water towers for mountain and lowland populations, serve as important carbon dioxide sinks, constitute the most extensive high altitude pastoral regions worldwide, and serve as refugia for unique species and communities. The chapter argues that the sustainable use and effective conservation of these ecosystems requires developing sound indicators and scenarios of temporal environmental changes. It also requires uncovering ecosystems’ macroeconomic dimension (i.e. identifying and quantifying causal interactions among biodiversity, water use changes, and socio-economic drivers at different scales), and developing strategies combining biodiversity conservation (e.g. through the protection of umbrella species and extensive areas), livelihood protection and development, and the maintenance of cultural diversity and traditional values.

Assessment of static and dynamic geodiversity in the Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark: constraints for a sustainable use of related abiotic ecosystem services

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Viani ◽  
Luigi Perotti ◽  
Federico Tognetto ◽  
Ilaria Selvaggio ◽  
Marco Giardino
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Western Alps ◽  
Landscape Resistance ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Multitemporal Data ◽  
Geomorphological Evolution

<p>Geodiversity includes geological, geomorphological, hydrological and soil elements and processes. By analysing geodiversity we can offer static and dynamic views of abiotic landscapes on the Earth. The current state of geodiversity includes both relict, long-term features recalling the past of our planet earth and active landforms and processes whose monitoring is a key for interpreting relationships between geosphere, biosphere and human activities. If the long term geodiversity mainly represents distribution of litho-structural “static” constrains to environmental changes, recent and active environmental features may act as dynamic “proxies” for interpreting climate change.<br>Aim of this work is to analyse relevant examples of both static and dynamic geodiversity within the territory of the Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark (Western Alps, Italy), in order to assess their role as georesources and to highlight possible sustainable use of related abiotic ecosystem services, including geoheritage. Geodiversity assessment has been performed by means of creation of geothematic maps and related factors analysed for better mountain environment understanding and management. <br>Starting with static geodiversity we collected, analysed and interpreted lithological and structural data in order to obtain information on distribution of georesources in the study area and to create a geothematic map on landscape resistance to erosion.<br>Thereafter we focused on two aspects related to dynamic geodiversity and their relationships with dramatic changes of the alpine landscape: glacial evolution and fluvial processes. On one hand, valley scale geomorphological evolution has been reconstructed by means of multitemporal data (e.g.: glacial landforms maps, glacier inventories) on evidences in the Sesia Valley. Obtained information crossed with national landslide inventory allowed to identify areas of strong glacial influence on slope stability (deep-seated gravitational slope deformation and landslides due to slope debutressing). Moreover, recent glacier withdrawal results in new glacier lakes increasing the hydrogeodiversity of the area and representing important potential georesources to be used. Finally, recent alluvial event (October 2020) has been considered for its high impact in reshaping fluvial environment and effects on both infrastructures and popular geosites along the Sesia river.<br>Results of this work are useful for the establishment of a proper Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework related to environmental issues due to global change in order to support educational activities and sustainable development of alpine “tourism hubs” included in the Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark by the “ArcticHubs” H2020-EU.3.5.1 project.</p>

scholarly journals Functional diversity: a key aspect in the provision of ecosystem services

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
JESÚS BALLESTEROS CORREA ◽  
JAIRO PÉREZ TORRES
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Relationship

 Functional diversity is one of the crucial aspects of the functioning of ecosystems and the provision of ecosystem services. In this review paper, we analyze how biodiversity contributes to human well-being through the provision of goods and ecosystem services, and related aspects of ecological processes and their relationship with the functional diversity of ecosystems are presented. It aims to explain in a simple way, the concepts related to functional diversity, the importance of the functional groups and the role of functional traits of the species as a key element in the responses of organisms to environmental changes. Understanding the relationship between ecosystem processes, functional diversity of species and providing ecosystem services, allow better management of natural ecosystems and their biodiversity, enabling conservation and sustainable use of different types of services provided by ecosystems.

scholarly journals Soil Diversity (Pedodiversity) and Ecosystem Services

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena A. Mikhailova ◽  
Hamdi A. Zurqani ◽  
Christopher J. Post ◽  
Mark A. Schlautman ◽  
Gregory C. Post
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Soil Survey ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Soil Taxonomy ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
Soil Diversity

Soil ecosystem services (ES) (e.g., provisioning, regulation/maintenance, and cultural) and ecosystem disservices (ED) are dependent on soil diversity/pedodiversity (variability of soils), which needs to be accounted for in the economic analysis and business decision-making. The concept of pedodiversity (biotic + abiotic) is highly complex and can be broadly interpreted because it is formed from the interaction of atmospheric diversity (abiotic + biotic), biodiversity (biotic), hydrodiversity (abiotic + biotic), and lithodiversity (abiotic) within ecosphere and anthroposphere. Pedodiversity is influenced by intrinsic (within the soil) and extrinsic (outside soil) factors, which are also relevant to ES/ED. Pedodiversity concepts and measures may need to be adapted to the ES framework and business applications. Currently, there are four main approaches to analyze pedodiversity: taxonomic (diversity of soil classes), genetic (diversity of genetic horizons), parametric (diversity of soil properties), and functional (soil behavior under different uses). The objective of this article is to illustrate the application of pedodiversity concepts and measures to value ES/ED with examples based on the contiguous United States (U.S.), its administrative units, and the systems of soil classification (e.g., U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Taxonomy, Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database). This study is based on a combination of original research and literature review examples. Taxonomic pedodiversity in the contiguous U.S. exhibits high soil diversity, with 11 soil orders, 65 suborders, 317 great groups, 2026 subgroups, and 19,602 series. The ranking of “soil order abundance” (area of each soil order within the U.S.) expressed as the proportion of the total area is: (1) Mollisols (27%), (2) Alfisols (17%), (3) Entisols (14%), (4) Inceptisols and Aridisols (11% each), (5) Spodosols (3%), (6) Vertisols (2%), and (7) Histosols and Andisols (1% each). Taxonomic, genetic, parametric, and functional pedodiversity are an essential context for analyzing, interpreting, and reporting ES/ED within the ES framework. Although each approach can be used separately, three of these approaches (genetic, parametric, and functional) fall within the “umbrella” of taxonomic pedodiversity, which separates soils based on properties important to potential use. Extrinsic factors play a major role in pedodiversity and should be accounted for in ES/ED valuation based on various databases (e.g., National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) databases). Pedodiversity is crucial in identifying soil capacity (pedocapacity) and “hotspots” of ES/ED as part of business decision making to provide more sustainable use of soil resources. Pedodiversity is not a static construct but is highly dynamic, and various human activities (e.g., agriculture, urbanization) can lead to soil degradation and even soil extinction.

scholarly journals Towards sustainable management of the stock and ecosystem services of urban trees. From theory to model and application

Trees ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Pretzsch ◽  
A. Moser-Reischl ◽  
M. A. Rahman ◽  
S. Pauleit ◽  
T. Rötzer
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Age Class ◽  
Sustainable Planning

Abstract Key message A model for sustainable planning of urban tree stocks is proposed, incorporating growth, mortality, replacement rates and ecosystem service provision, providing a basis for planning of urban tree stocks. Abstract Many recent studies have improved the knowledge about urban trees, their structures, functions, and ecosystem services. We introduce a concept and model for the sustainable management of urban trees, analogous to the concept of sustainable forestry developed by Carl von Carlowitz and others. The main drivers of the model are species-specific tree diameter growth functions and mortality rates. Based on the initial tree stock and options for the annual replanting, the shift of the distribution of the number of trees per age class can be predicted with progressing time. Structural characteristics such as biomass and leaf area are derived from tree dimensions that can be related to functions such as carbon sequestration or cooling. To demonstrate the potential of the dynamic model, we first show how different initial stocks of trees can be quantitatively assessed by sustainability indicators compared to a target stock. Second, we derive proxy variables for ecosystem services (e.g. biomass for carbon sequestration, leaf area for deposition and shading) from a given distribution of the number of trees per age class. Third, we show by scenario analyses how selected ecosystem services and functions may be improved by combining complementary tree species. We exercise one aspect (cooling) of one ecosystem service (temperature mitigation) as an example. The approach integrates mosaic pieces of knowledge about urban trees, their structures, functions, and resulting ecosystem services. The presented model makes this knowledge available for a sustainable management of urban tree stocks. We discuss the potential and relevance of the developed concept and model for ecologically and economically sustainable planning and management, in view of progressing urbanization and environmental changes.

scholarly journals Forecasting Agroforestry Ecosystem Services Provision in Urban Regeneration Projects: Experiences and Perspectives from Milan

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ambrogio Zanzi ◽  
Federico Andreotti ◽  
Valentina Vaglia ◽  
Sumer Alali ◽  
Francesca Orlando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Food System ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Food System ◽  
Notable Increase ◽  
Living Fences ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Pollution Removal ◽  
The Relationship

The expansion of urban agglomerates is causing significant environmental changes, while the demand and need for sustainability keep on growing. In this context, urban and peri-urban agriculture can play a crucial role, mainly if associated with an agroecological approach. Indeed, the extensive use of living fences and tree rows can improve the environmental quality, assuring ecosystem services (ES), developing a sustainable urban food system and increasing local productions and the related socio-economic improvements. This study aims to assess the benefits of an agroecological requalification of a dismissed peri-urban area in the South Milan Agricultural Regional Park (Italy), by evaluating two possible scenarios, both involving planting trees and shrubs in that area. The software I-Tree Eco simulates the ecosystem services provision of planting new hedgerows, evaluating the benefits over 30 years. The study underlines the difference between the two scenarios and how the planted area becomes an essential supplier of regulating ecosystem services for the neighbourhoods, increasing carbon storage and air pollution removal. Results were then analysed with a treemap, to better investigate and understand the relationship between the different ecosystem services, showing a notable increase in carbon sequestration at the end of the simulation (at year 30). The study shows a replicable example of a methodology and techniques that can be used to assess the ES in urban and peri-urban environments.

scholarly journals Distribution Patterns of Odonate Assemblages in Relation to Environmental Variables in Streams of South Korea

Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Da-Yeong Lee ◽  
Dae-Seong Lee ◽  
Mi-Jung Bae ◽  
Soon-Jin Hwang ◽  
Seong-Yu Noh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Self Organizing Map ◽  
Factors Affecting

Odonata species are sensitive to environmental changes, particularly those caused by humans, and provide valuable ecosystem services as intermediate predators in food webs. We aimed: (i) to investigate the distribution patterns of Odonata in streams on a nationwide scale across South Korea; (ii) to evaluate the relationships between the distribution patterns of odonates and their environmental conditions; and (iii) to identify indicator species and the most significant environmental factors affecting their distributions. Samples were collected from 965 sampling sites in streams across South Korea. We also measured 34 environmental variables grouped into six categories: geography, meteorology, land use, substrate composition, hydrology, and physicochemistry. A total of 83 taxa belonging to 10 families of Odonata were recorded in the dataset. Among them, eight species displayed high abundances and incidences. Self-organizing map (SOM) classified sampling sites into seven clusters (A–G) which could be divided into two distinct groups (A–C and D–G) according to the similarities of their odonate assemblages. Clusters A–C were characterized by members of the suborder Anisoptera, whereas clusters D–G were characterized by the suborder Zygoptera. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) identified forest (%), altitude, and cobble (%) in substrata as the most influential environmental factors determining odonate assemblage compositions. Our results emphasize the importance of habitat heterogeneity by demonstrating its effect on odonate assemblages.

scholarly journals A high-altitude peatland record of environmental changes in the NW Argentine Andes (24 ° S) over the last 2100 years

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1165-1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karsten Schittek ◽  
Sebastian T. Kock ◽  
Andreas Lücke ◽  
Jonathan Hense ◽  
Christian Ohlendorf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Central Andes ◽  
High Accumulation ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Climate Anomalies ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
The 19Th Century

Abstract. High-altitude cushion peatlands are versatile archives for high-resolution palaeoenvironmental studies, due to their high accumulation rates, range of proxies, and sensitivity to climatic and/or human-induced changes. Especially within the Central Andes, the knowledge about climate conditions during the Holocene is limited. In this study, we present the environmental and climatic history for the last 2100 years of Cerro Tuzgle peatland (CTP), located in the dry Puna of NW Argentina, based on a multi-proxy approach. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), stable isotope and element content analyses (δ13C, δ15N, TN and TOC) were conducted to analyse the inorganic geochemistry throughout the sequence, revealing changes in the peatlands' past redox conditions. Pollen assemblages give an insight into substantial environmental changes on a regional scale. The palaeoclimate varied significantly during the last 2100 years. The results reflect prominent late Holocene climate anomalies and provide evidence that in situ moisture changes were coupled to the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). A period of sustained dry conditions prevailed from around 150 BC to around AD 150. A more humid phase dominated between AD 200 and AD 550. Afterwards, the climate was characterised by changes between drier and wetter conditions, with droughts at around AD 650–800 and AD  1000–1100. Volcanic forcing at the beginning of the 19th century (1815 Tambora eruption) seems to have had an impact on climatic settings in the Central Andes. In the past, the peatland recovered from climatic perturbations. Today, CTP is heavily degraded by human interventions, and the peat deposit is becoming increasingly susceptible to erosion and incision.

Climate Sensitivity and the Direct Effect of Carbon Dioxide in a Limited-Area Cloud-Resolving Model

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 3413-3429 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Romps
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Climate Sensitivity ◽  
Convective Available Potential Energy ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Concentration ◽  
Limited Area ◽  
Equilibration Time ◽  
Feedback Parameter ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cloud Resolving Model

AbstractEven in a small domain, it can be prohibitively expensive to run cloud-resolving greenhouse gas warming experiments due to the long equilibration time. Here, a technique is introduced that reduces the computational cost of these experiments by an order of magnitude: instead of fixing the carbon dioxide concentration and equilibrating the sea surface temperature (SST), this technique fixes the SST and equilibrates the carbon dioxide concentration. Using this approach in a cloud-resolving model of radiative–convective equilibrium (RCE), the equilibrated SST is obtained as a continuous function of carbon dioxide concentrations spanning 1 ppmv to nearly 10 000 ppmv, revealing a dramatic increase in equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) at higher temperatures. This increase in ECS is due to both an increase in forcing and a decrease in the feedback parameter. In addition, the technique is used to obtain the direct effects of carbon dioxide (i.e., the rapid adjustments) over a wide range of SSTs. Overall, the direct effect of carbon dioxide offsets a quarter of the increase in precipitation from warming, reduces the shallow cloud fraction by a small amount, and has no impact on convective available potential energy (CAPE).

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