Assessment of Ecosystem Services and Capabilities of Communities from different Scales and Niches - Implications on Sustainability Goals

Padhmanand Sudhakar

doi:10.29333/ejosdr/7843

Abstract

Ecosystems are complex compendia of biotic and abiotic components and characterized by exchanges of energy and mass. Via the actions and functions of the resident components which assemble into communities, ecosystems provide both direct/indirect tangible and intangible services to human society as well as the natural world. This holds true for ecosystems which cut across various scales and niches. Various frameworks have been devised to categorize and evaluate the services provided by ecosystems and/or their components. In this study, the services elicited by three specific communities occupying different ecosystem niches and having distinct scalar resolution are assessed. Firstly, the microbial communities which reside in the mammalian gut ecosystem, the microbial communities in the soil and the indigenous/local communities who inhabit the ecosystems comprising their traditional landscapes. Further, the roles and functions of these diverse communities, separated by scale and mostly and largely contributing to the homeostasis and functionality of their corresponding ecosystems, are evaluated. The services rendered by these communities are then mapped to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Finally, the importance of these communities in maximizing social, economic and ecological capital is pointed out.

Highlights

Across various scales, communities render important functions to their ecosystems which in turn may be part of larger entities such as higher-organisms, landscapes, water bodies etc
Decades of research on the mammalian gut microbial community has revealed its role in various functions which can be classified into the provisioning, regulating, supporting, cultural and indicator categories
From helping the host digest the food to enabling the absorption and assimilation of nutrients such as vitamins, short chain fatty acids, polyphenols, the gut microbiota elicits its functions via various mechanisms

Summary

Introduction

Communities render important functions to their ecosystems which in turn may be part of larger entities such as higher-organisms, landscapes, water bodies etc. The functionalities are primarily the result of synergistic interactions mediated by the components of these communities with other biotic or abiotic components (Blair et al, 2000). These functionalities result in services for human society and well-being. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)(http://www.teebweb.org/) is a global initiative which provides a descriptive framework to capture, assign value and assess the functions rendered by nature. The TEEB framework has been widely applied to various ecosystems and contexts as a tool to support decision makers in charge of policy portfolios affecting the environment and natural resources

Methods

Results

Conclusion