1 Ecological Services

Ecological Services James Price Grantham University GS104

2 Ecological Services Ecological Services Ecological Services are the processes by which the environment produces resources that are often taken for granted. Some of these ecological services include clean water, timber, clean air, and plant populations. These services are free and available to us as humans, but are becoming scarce today as our global footprint continues to increase, and threats such as pollution, over population, and over use of our natural resources continue to increase. Society is increasingly becoming aware that ecosystem services are not only limited, but also that they are threatened by human activities. As human populations grow, so do the resource demands imposed on ecosystems and the impacts of our global footprint. Natural resources are not infinitely available and will not always be around for future generations to enjoy if conservation efforts are not done by our generation today. Human activities such as deforestation, over hunting or fishing, and displacement of different species to support population growth and recreation add to the natural resource dilemma that we face. (http://centennialhustler.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/biodiversityoverheads.doc) As a result pollution, erosion due to deforestation, and contamination of our air and water supplies continues to affect our ecosystem. A healthy ecosystem benefits all living organisms, including animals and plants, rather than to humans alone. Ecological services provide for health, social, cultural, and economic needs. The need to consider long-term ecosystem health and its role in human habitat and activities is urgent. The concern over ecological goods and services arises because we are losing them at an unsustainable rate. We can make efforts to preserve and even improve our environment with efforts such as cleaning up contaminated water resources, finding and managing water supplies and, developing programs for natural resource protection and restoration. One area of ecological concern is our water

3 supply. There is a definite need for fresh potable water. Rivers and streams provide a natural filtration process by which water is cleaned. Affects such as pollution and erosion hamper the ability of these sources to perform this filtration in an adequate way.

Agricultural pests devour and destroy human and animal food supplies. The pests found in water supplies contaminate potable supplies and can lead to the spread of sickness and disease. This affects the health and welfare of biodiversity such as humans, plants, and animals. If trends in human demands for water remain unaltered and species losses continue at current rates, the opportunity to conserve much of the remaining biodiversity in fresh water will vanish.

The two ecological services that most likely to decline due to human influence include: protecting people from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays and the cycling and moving of nutrients. The reduction of protection from UV radiation results in more than sunburn, skin cancers, and cataracts. UV rays can suppress the human immune system leaving the body vulnerable to many diseases caused by bacteria and viruses entering through or affecting the skin. (http://www.theozonehole.com/consequences.htm) Concerning the cycling and moving of nutrients; ecosystems are interconnected systems where matter and energy flows and is exchanged as organisms feed, digest, and migrate about. This is important because with the displacement of different species and animals and plants, the natural nutrient cycles are changed. The way of energy flow in our environment is changing. This change throws off the natural balance of our environment. As our environmental health continues to decline from human actions, this balance will continue to decline. There is still much room for improvement, and the need for change in the world mindset is still a very real need. Luckily, efforts have been made in the past decades to improve our

4 environmental standing. There are many environmental organizations such as the Arbor Day Society, UNEP, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Much improvement has been made through the efforts of such organizations. If we are to make change for the survival and thriving of future generations, the real change must begin in the decisions of individuals. A change may seem small, but if many make small changes, the result is a big difference. .