Ecosystem services for biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture
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The document discusses ecosystem services as benefits humans obtain from ecosystems, classifying them into provisioning, regulating, habitat, and cultural services. It highlights the role of agricultural ecosystems in providing food and other resources while emphasizing the importance of conservation, particularly in the context of Kenya's montane forests and the economic impacts of deforestation. Policies for enhancing ecosystem services include financial support, deforestation reduction, and international collaboration for biodiversity conservation.
Ecosystem services for biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture
- 1. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES-concept and use in both biodiversity conservation and agricultural development Abigael Nekesa Otinga School of Agriculture and Biotechnology, University of Eldoret, Kenya MAY 2016
- 2. The Millenium Ecosystem Assessment Report (MA, 2005), broadly defines ecosystem services as ‘the benefits humans obtain from ecosystems.’ However…. Not operational for all research purposes (Boyd and Banzhaf 2007, Wallace 2007 and Fisher and Turner 2008, Maeler et al. 2008), and efforts have been made to more carefully classify and understand ecosystem service to make their analysis more operational Fisher et al 2009). Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human well-being, they support directly or indirectly our survival and quality of life. I. INTRODUCTION TO THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
- 3. From an economic standpoint an Ecosystem service is ‘a good or service flowing from an ecosystem that is of value to humans and occurs naturally’. Ej = r (N) Ej = jth ecosystem service N = natural capital (ecosystem structure) r = ecosystem function or process Example: Water quality= r (precipitation, terrain, soils, aquifers, biota) Introduction…
- 4. Categories of Ecosystem services Introduction… Provisioning services -Products obtained from ecosystems such as food, fresh water, wood, fiber, genetic resources and medicines. Regulating services -Benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes such as climate regulation, natural hazard regulation, water purification and waste management, pollination or pest control. Habitat services -Ecosystems providing habitat for migratory species and to maintain the viability of gene-pools. Cultural services include non-material benefits that people obtain from ecosystems such as spiritual enrichment, intellectual development, recreation and aesthetic values.
- 5. Agriculture = 40% terrestrial land use (Ramankuty and Foley, 1999) The origins of new agricultural land in the tropics, 1980–2000. II. INTRODUCTION TO THE AGRICULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS -AGROECOSYSTEM SERVICES
- 6. INTRODUCTION TO THE AGRICULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS -AGROECOSYSTEM SERVICES Agricultural ecosystems- -provide humans with food, forage, bioenergy and pharmaceuticals Examples of functioning agricultural ecosystems Annual crop monocultures, Temperate perennial orchards, Grazing systems, Arid land pastoral systems, Tropical shifting cultivation systems, Smallholder mixed cropping systems, Paddy rice systems, Tropical plantations (e.g. oil palm, coffee, cacao), Agroforestry systems and species rich home gardens
- 7. Services associated with agricultural ecosystems are Provisioning services Provisioning services- Products obtained from ecosystems such as food, fresh water, wood, fiber, genetic resources and medicines. Also provide other services such as Regulatory services-flood control, water quality control, carbons sequestration, climate regulation through greenhouse gasses regulation, disease regulation and waste treatment Cultural services such as scenic beauty, education, recreation and tourism and traditional use Agroecosystems also do consume and/or benefit from some of these services…. Services flowing to agriculture (Power, 2010) 1. Biological pest control 2. Pollination 3. Water quantity and Quality 4. Soil structure and fertility 5. Landscape influences on the delivery of ecosystem services
- 8. Improving a traditional practice (e.g. Zai pits) Harnessing the power of ecological interactions to promote productive farming systems. E.g. pest control New science-To develop a new system (e.g. push--‐pull) Management of agricultural ecosystems to realize services Ecosystem services from agriculture Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (Power, 2010) Increase in nitrogen use efficiency Carbon sequestration
- 9. Compost/No till/Intercropping Insectory strips Crop Rotation/Co ver Crop Hedgerow/ Buffer strips Riprarian corridors Natural areas Nutrients Water Pest Control Pollination Supporting Agro-biodiversity Soils Kremen, Iles and Bacon, 2012. ecology and society Plot Field Landscape ….Which is key to sustainability. Management of agricultural ecosystems to realize services
- 10. III. Case study: Value of the Ecosystem Services to Kenya-An economic valuation of the Montane Forests Montane forests provide Regulatory services- Regulatory services-Climate regulation, Natural hazard regulation, Waste management, Water purification, Pollination, Pest control When deforestation occurs, these regulatory services are lost Montane forests regulate Kenya’s water yield (15,800 M m3/year)-very valuable to Agriculture, foretsry, Electricity, Hotel and accommodation, etc… By 2010, the cumulative negative effect of deforestation on the economy through reduction in regulating services was an estimated KES 3.65B yr-1, more than 2.6 times the cash revenue of deforestation. Figure: The Kenyan water towers-1-Mt. Kenya, 2-The Aberdare Range, 3-The Mau Complex, and 4. Mt Kilimanjaro. Source:http://www.unep.org/dewa/Assessments/Ecosystems/Land /EastAfricanMontaneForests/
- 11. The cash value of forest products has a once-off value, the benefits of regulating services in preceding years continue to be felt in the economy in every subsequent year that the national asset, the Water Towers, is degraded. Breakdown of the 3.65 B KES…(Effects of deforestation) (UNEP 2012b) Loss of Regulatory Service Monetary Value (KES B) Changes in river flows resulting from a reduction in dry-season river flows, which reduced the assurance of water supply to irrigation agriculture-reduction in agricultural output 2.63 Reduced river flows also lowered hydropower generation by 0.012 In 2010, reduction in water quality due to siltation and elevated nutrient levels running off degraded land into fresh water systems reduced inland fish catches 0.086 Increased the cost of water treatment for potable use by 0.192 Well-managed montane forest cover reduces malarial disease prevalence. Incidence of malaria as a result of deforestation is estimated to have cost. This resulted in additional health costs to the Government of Kenya and through losses in labour productivity 0.395 Forest loss is also detrimental to the global carbon cycle. The above-ground carbon storage value forgone through deforestation was estimated 0.341 TOTAL 3.65
- 12. IV. POLICIES TO ENHANCE THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES African leaders have a commitment in in the safeguarding of ecosystem services while reducing poverty in the continent. Priority areas identified by African leaders through their environmental ministers are (Egoh et al., 2012) 1. Enhanced financial support, including through innovative ways of mobilizing financial resources (e.g., via payment for ecosystem services (PES)). 2. The reduction of deforestation via reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD). 3. The support of establishment of Intergovernmental science policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and full contributions to such a platform including the creation of a pan-African committee. IPBES which was agreed to be formed by more than 90 countries around the world and charged with providing scientifically sound information to support decision making on biodiversity and ecosystem services (http://www.ipbes.net/) 4. Many challenges remain and include the valuation of ecosystem services….(this could be created also as a priority area by governments…Endorsement of TEEB (The international body charged with the economics of ecosystems-(http://www.teebweb.org) which is yet to be endorsed by many countries. 5. National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan (NBSAP) including a national spatial biodiversity assessment.
- 13. References UNEP, (2012 a). The Role and Contribution of Montane Forests and Related Ecosystem Services to the Kenyan Economy UNEP, (2012b). Kenya. Integrated forest ecosystem services. Technical report. UNEP, (2012c). Kenya. Economy-wide impact technical report. Technical Report.