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Definitions of Ecosystem Services
Irit Altman, Thom Young, John Meyer
Appendix. Definitions of Ecosystem Components and Impacts/Influences
Ecosystem Components
Gas Regulation: role of biotic/abiotic processes in biogeochemical cycles (e.g. CO2/O2 balance, ozone layer, etc)
Climate Regulation: role of biotic/abiotic processes (both terrestrial and aquatic) in maintaining stable climate patterns
Water Flow Exchange: freshwater discharge, runoff, retention of freshwater, natural freshwater flow (e.g. freshwater lake circulation; streams and river flows); tides, currents, upwelling/downwelling (e.g. estuarine/intertidal exchange; oceanic currents and circulation; nearshore currents and circulation)
Sediment Regulation: role of plants /estuaries/physical forces/land forms in sediment retention and loss
Elemental Regulation: role of the ecosystem in regulating flow (e.g. input-output) of inorganic chemicals and compounds
Nutrient Regulation: role of biotic/abiotic processes that store or recycle nutrients (e.g. N, P, & S, eutrophying agents and pollutants)
Pollution Control: the ability of a system (biotic and abiotic) to absorb allochthonous inputs derived from human activity (e.g. detoxification)
Propagule Dispersal and Retention: the natural flow of propagules within a system through retention or export
Productivity Energy Source: the basis of energy availability and flow to the food chain and its availability for uptake (e.g. solar, upwelling, nutrient flow)
Primary Productivity: the measurable production of new biological material in a system in relation to food web dynamics; autotrophs
Consumers: higher trophic levels that consume the products of primary productivity (e.g. intermediate predators, apex predators, detrivores)
Detritus Pathways: the incorporation of non-living organic matter into the food chain
Species Diversity: the abundance and richness of species in the ecosystem
Genetic Diversity: extent of genetic variation within a species and system
Gamma Diversity: a measure of the overall diversity for the different ecosystems within a region; geographic-scale species diversity; system-level diversity
Diseases: pathogens and parasites residing within and affecting a community either naturally or introduced
Habitat: suitable biotic and/or abiotic living space for species (plant and animal) including refugia, nursery, and spawning habitats
Spawning and Nursery Habitats: suitable reproductive and juvenile habitat
Food: conversion of solar energy into edible plants and animals for humans; wild and/or cultured harvest
Freshwater: ecosystem's ability to filter, retain and store freshwater
Raw Materials: excavation of biotic/abiotic resources (other than food) for human consumption (e.g. freshwater and minerals)
Medicinal Resources: potential yield and use of (bio)chemical substances from natural biota
Aesthetic Resources: attractive landscape features; biota in natural systems with potential ornamental use
Historical/Traditional: variety of natural features with historical or traditional relevance to the larger ecosystem (e.g. sites with or without physical remnants)
Spiritual Resources: variety of natural features with spiritual features
Recreational Resources: variety of natural features in a system that offer various forms of recreation and tourism opportunities, either extractive or non-extractive
Science: variety of scientific values within a system, including monitoring and research
Education: variety in nature with educational values and opportunities
Anoxia/Hypoxia: the biotic/abiotic processes in a system that regulate anoxic/hypoxic conditions
Employment: ecosystem components linked to and responsible for employment
Fire Disturbance: the role of fire events in regulating ecosystem processes
Native/Indigenous: the presence of native cultures, rights, and rituals in a system
Impacts/Influences
Invasive species: non-native species that degrade either natural ecosystem function or goods and services; any species, including its seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material capable of propagating that species, that is not native to that ecosystem; and whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health1
Native nuisance species: native species that degrade desired ecosystem function or goods/services
Harmful algal blooms: rapid algal growth altering food web dynamics and/or producing neurotoxins that can be transferred to higher trophic levels
Farming: raising of plant (agriculture) or animal (livestock) matter for human/animal consumption; generally requires a modification of land and addition of nutrients
Chemical pollution: contamination of soil or water through non-organic inputs
Fisheries/Living resource extraction: the operation of commercial or recreational fisheries within a system; living resource extraction from a system
Aquaculture: production both nearshore and offshore of plants and animals, including hatcheries
Logging: to cut down and haul timber, shrubs, and other flora; land clearing
Development/Building construction: alteration of land and construction of hard surfaces and buildings along the coast and within a given watershed
Conservation activities: activities aimed at restoring and/or maintaining habitat towards a state of ecological integrity
Shoreline modification: filling or dredging nearshore marine environments
Tourism/Recreation: visitation and recreational use of a specific system by humans
Material transport: movement of processed goods through an ecosystem (e.g. shipping, trains)
Light pollution: above natural light levels; nighttime lighting
Noise pollution: above natural noise levels (e.g. boat engines, air traffic)
Military activity: military operations occurring within an ecosystem
Non-living resource extraction: removal of physical and chemical goods from the ecosystem (e.g. gravel, sand, oil, minerals)
Dams: infrastructure that impedes the natural flow of water
Climate events: the occurrence of extreme weather (e.g. heat, winds, precipitation, hurricane, tornado) and their change over time (e.g. climatic influences)
Large-scale temporal events: the presence of strong, cyclical trends that are predictable and may influence a system (e.g. PDO, El Nino)
Nutrient loading: the addition of organic and/or inorganic material to a system; may influence primary productivity; may include sedimentation
Sedimentation: accumulation of sediment within a given area
anoxia/hypoxia: the degree to which a system or components within are moving towards anoxic or hypoxic conditions
Manufacturing: large-scale mechanical activities associated with processing goods, including energy production
REFERENCES
1. (G. Keith Douce, David J. Moorhead, Charles T. Bargeron, Project Coordinators, The University of Georgiahttp://www.invasive.org/)
NOTE
We will eventually scrutinize the definitions of the various components and impacts and revise these axes. We think that we have a great opportunity to couch this project in the context of the high profile Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA, http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.aspx) that was recently released and is receiving a tremendous amount of attention from scientists, politicians, and managers alike. If we are consistent with the terminology and framework already established within the MEA, we may be able to propose this project as a logical next step following from the MEA. In the MEA, what we call “ecosystem components” are instead termed "ecosystem services" and divided into three groups: "provisioning services" (economic goods and services), "regulatory services" (ecosystem functions), and "cultural services" (e.g., spiritual, educational, and aesthetic value). Likewise, the MEA uses the term “direct drivers of ecosystem change” to describe what we call “impacts and influences.” We may ultimately adopt the MEA's list of ecosystem services and direct drivers of ecosystem change as well as the terminology used therein in order to maintain consistency with this body of work. We believe that, by conforming to this accepted and increasingly popularized framework, our work will be far more accessible and will demonstrate integration with existing research.