Chapter 11 Ecosystem Capital: Use and Restoration Copyright © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Inc. Environmental Science Tenth Edition Richard T. Wright

Ecosystem Capital: Use and Restoration Global perspective on biological systems Conservation, preservation, restoration Biomes and ecosystems under pressure Public and private lands in the United States

What We Need to Know About Ecosystems How they sustain human life and economies. Positive and negative effects of ecosystem conversions. Sustainable approaches to ecosystem management.

Global Perspective on Biological Systems Major systems and their goods and services Ecosystems as natural resources

Services from various types of ecosystems

Review of Services of Natural Ecosystems Modification of climate Maintenance of hydrological cycle Erosion control and soil building

Review of Services of Natural Ecosystems Maintenance of oxygen and nitrogen cycles Waste treatment Pest management Carbon storage and maintenance of carbon cycle

Wetland Services Valued at $100,000 per acre per year Water purification and fish propagation

Conservation, Preservation, Restoration Conservation versus preservation Patterns of use of natural ecosystems Restoration

Conservation Versus Preservation Conservation: managing or regulating use so that it does not exceed the capacity of the species or system to renew itself. Preservation: ensure species or ecosystem continuity regardless of their potential utility

Consumptive Use

Productive Use

Maximum Sustained Yield

Parable of the Commons

Patterns of Human Use of Natural Resources (True or False) Greed Ignorance Desperation Sustainability Mining the resource Managing the resource Unregulated access to resource

Tragedy of the Commons Begins with unregulated access to a resource owned by no one. Examples? Harvest based on largest amount over the shortest period of time. No thought given to sustainable harvests. Usually ends with no resource for anyone.

Preventing a Tragedy of the Commons Private ownership Regulated access –Sustained benefits –Fairness in access rights –Common consent of the regulated

Restoration The intent of ecosystem restoration is to repair the damage to specific land and waters so that normal ecosystem integrity, resilience, and productivity returns.

Florida Restoration Plan

Biomes and Ecosystems Under Pressure Forest biomes Ocean ecosystems Coral reefs and mangroves

Forest Biomes Conserve biodiversity Moderate regional climates Prevent erosion Store carbon and nutrients Provide recreational opportunities Provide a number of vital goods

World Forest Biomes

Causes of Deforestation Conversion into pastures and agricultural lands Consequences? (next slide)

Consequences of Deforestation Deforestation or More Less Productivity Nutrient recycling Biodiversity Soil erosion Transpiration Air pollution

Logging Operations

Silviculture: Forest Management with Harvest Goals Even-aged management –Clear-cutting: no tree left behind Uneven-aged management –Selective cutting

Sustainable Forestry Forests managed as ecosystems Maintain biodiversity and integrity of ecosystem Meet social, economic, cultural, and spiritual needs of present and future generations.

Causes of the Loss of Tropical Rainforests Colonization: consolidation of agricultural lands Huge national debts Fast food chains and cheap hamburger

Sustainable Forest Management Manage for sustainable outcomes Teach others Protect the health of the forest Recognize and protect unique forest ecosystems Strive to be better forest managers

Trends in Forest Management in Developing Countries Sustainable forest management Plantations of trees for wood or other products, e.g., cacao and rubber Extractive reserves that yield nontimber goods Preserving forests as part of national heritage and ecotourism Management by indigenous people

Rubber Plantation

Ocean Ecosystems An international commons? 75% of the Earth’s surface

The Global Fish Harvest

Aquaculture

Fisheries in Distress: Cod Landings from Georges Bank,

Fisheries Problems: Bottom Trawling Too many boats High technology Too few fish

The Magnuson Conservation Act of 1976 Gave federal government authority to manage fisheries Claimed the area between 3 and 200 miles offshore as the “Exclusive Economic Zone”

The Magnuson Conservation Act of 1976 Designed to eliminate foreign fishing Designed to restore and conserve fish

Sustainable Fisheries Act The 1996 reauthorization of the Magnuson Act Mandates that fish stocks be rebuilt Management plans and yields be based on scientific data Steps be taken to minimize “by catch”

International Whaling

Whale Watching

Factors That Restored Whale Populations (True or False) International Whaling Commission The Red Data Book Whale watching Japan’s scientific research Stellwagen bank

Coral Reefs Important food sources for local people Wave erosion control Great diversity of marine vertebrates and invertebrates

Bleached Coral

Sources of Damage to Coral Reefs Warm water Eutrophication Islander poverty Logging Shrimp aquaculture Coastal development

Mangroves Protects coasts from storm damage and erosion Forms rich refuge and nursery for marine fish

Public and Private Lands in the United States National parks and national wildlife refuges National forests Protecting nonfederal lands Final thoughts

Distribution of Federal Lands in U.S.

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition

Wilderness Act of 1964 Provides for permanent protection of undeveloped and unexploited areas so that natural ecological processes can operate freely. 5% of land area in U.S. Preservation, not conservation.

National Forests Only 5% of the original U.S. Forests are left Most U.S. Forests are second growth

Post WW II Housing Boom Environmental Concerns Reagan Clinton

New Forestry = Ecosystem Management Cut trees less frequently Leave wider buffer zones along waterways Leave dead logs and debris Protect broader landscapes Build no new roads until damage to old ones is addressed

Protecting Nonfederal Lands Land Trust Alliance Nature Conservancy Trustees of Reservations in Massachusetts

Final Thoughts We are plundering our children’s heritage to pay for our present unsustainable practices. We need a new ethic of stewardship. –U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan