Abstract
Abstract Human pressure on ecosystems has undesirable impacts on human well-being. After the Millennium Project, much interdisciplinary research has been developed worldwide aiming to understand these impacts on ecosystem flows and processes, and to learn about the costs and the benefits of ecosystem services for production. Soil provides many ecosystem services, since its multi-functionality is the basis for food production, water filtration, nutrient cycling, and other goods essential to life. This article presents the main concepts and classifications of soil ecosystem services and of its functions; the indicators and the methods for assessment, modeling, and valuation of ecosystem services; some recent applications to assess and evaluate impacts of agricultural management practices on soil ecosystem services; as well as challenges and opportunities for research and for development of public policies related to agro-environmental sustainability in Brazil. Although the role of soil in supplying ecosystem services is yet undervalued, scientists are gradually recognizing soil processes and functions as fundamental to assess ecosystem services and the effects of land use and management on them. Interdisciplinary approaches to integrate science and public policies are necessary to build governance based on ecosystem services.
Highlights
Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than at any other period of time in history (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005)
Unsuited management practices and indiscriminate use of agrochemicals have led to soil degradation, water pollution, reduction of productivity rates and biodiversity losses, in addition to impacts related to climate change, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
The ecosystem service concept emerged from the work of ecologists and economists who were concerned with environmental degradation, and expanded across areas of knowledge and countries, drawing the attention of various stakeholders and researchers, eventually moving to specific questions on methods and applications (Chaudhary et al, 2015)
Summary
Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than at any other period of time in history (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). Unsuited management practices and indiscriminate use of agrochemicals have led to soil degradation, water pollution, reduction of productivity rates and biodiversity losses, in addition to impacts related to climate change, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions These damages have compromised their capacity to supply ecosystem services (ES), defined as “the benefits supplied to human societies by natural ecosystems” (Daily et al, 1997). This paper aims to present fundamental concepts and an overview of methods and applications of soil ecosystem services, as well as their usefulness for decision-making In this context, the ecosystem service concept emerged from the work of ecologists and economists who were concerned with environmental degradation, and expanded across areas of knowledge and countries, drawing the attention of various stakeholders and researchers, eventually moving to specific questions on methods and applications (Chaudhary et al, 2015). The purpose of this review is to provide subsidies and motivation for research on soil ecosystem service approaches, in order to generate integrated results and applications to policy-makers, in Brazil, aiming at agro-environmental sustainability
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