EcoSystem services
Definition of Ecosystem Services
The concept of Ecosystem Services has developed gradually for over a century as a way of recognizing the dependence of human societies on nature-based systems [1]. He defined ecosystem services as …the conditions and processes by which natural ecosystems, and the species that make them up, sustain and fulfil human life. Some of what sustains human life is obvious: food, drinkable water, breathable air, and liveable climates. Each of these needs is underpinned by a set of ecosystem services; so it’s correct to affirm that, Ecosystem Services are the transformation of a set of natural assets (soil, plants and animals, air and water) into things that incorporate value.
Coastal and Marine ecosystem Services
The following table 1.1 [2] presents a summary of all services coming from these kind of ecosystems.
Services are provided from which humans benefit and they are not only life-support services, but also life-fulfilling services. So close to services like filtration and delivery of water; absorption of wastes; maintenance of atmosphere and climate within limits suitable for human life; maintenance of soil fertility and structure; protection from floods and other extreme weather and maintenance of habitat and biodiversity, they give services like provision of cultural, spiritual and intellectual stimulation and maintenance of other species for their existence value.
According to the classification in Table 1.1, what follows is an explanation of the meaning related to each category of Services.
Provisioning services. These are the products people obtain from ecosystems, such as:
- Food. This includes the vast range of food products derived from plants, animals, and microbes.
- Fiber. Materials such as wood, jute, cotton, hemp, silk, and wool.
- Timber and Fuel. Wood, dung, and other biological materials serve as sources of energy.
- Medicines and other resources. Many medicines, biocides, food additives such as alginates, and biological materials are derived from ecosystems, also the genes and genetic information used for animal and plant breeding and biotechnology are services from these ecosystems.
Regulating Services. These are the benefits the society obtains from the regulation of ecosystem processes, including:
- Biological regulation and control. It means the trophic-dynamic regulation of populations such as predator regulation of pest prey populations.
- Freshwater storage and retention. Ecosystems provide water by watersheds, reservoirs and aquifers.
- Hydrological balance or Water regulation. They regulate hydrological flows such as water for agriculture, or for industrial processes or for transportation.
- Athmospheric and Climate regulation. Ecosystems contribute chemicals to and extract chemicals from the atmosphere, influencing many aspects of air quality, they regulate global temperature, precipitation and other biologically mediated climate processes. For example they regulate greenhouse gases emissions or DMS (dimethylsulphide) production which affect cloud formation.
- Human disease control. Ecosystems provide for a control of pathogens and disease Changes in ecosystems can directly change the abundance of human pathogens, such as cholera, and can alter the abundance of disease vectors, such as mosquitoes.
- Waste processing. Ecosystems can be a source of impurities (e.g., in fresh water) but also can help to filter out and decompose organic wastes introduced into inland waters and coastal and marine ecosystems and assimilate and detoxify compounds through soil and sub-soil processes.
- Flood/storm protection or Natural hazard regulation. The presence of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and coral reefs can reduce the damage caused by hurricanes or large waves.
