High plant diversity is needed to maintain ecosystem services

Natural history collections (NHC) worldwide contain vast amount of valuable data that can be used to answer a wide range of questions by exploring biodiversity and natural resources records, having an immense potential to contribute to science, policy making and legislating, and to public scientific awareness. Likewise, the development and increase of global and regional biodiversity digital databases (e.g., Global Biodiversity Information Facility - GBIF; Fauna Europaea; Naturdata, etc.), scientific literature and all digital information regarding biodiversity, ecological areas and climate records comprise a huge amount of primary and processed digital ecological data (DED) accessible globally that can be readily used, at no cost, and integrated to further study e.g. biodiversity changes, ecological processes, natural habitat distribution, prioritizing ecosystem management and conservation actions, etc. Marine invertebrate biodiversity contributes to the structure and stability of ecosystem processes such as productivity, ecological networks, as well as nutrient and biogeochemical cycling having also an economic importance as a food source for local populations. Mangroves and seagrasses encompass ecological and socio-economic relevance as they have a preponderant role in marine and coastal ecosystem biodiversity and functioning providing a vast number of goods and services to local populations. Although generally pristine, mangroves and seagrasses in Africa are extremely vulnerable to the increased migration of rural populations to urban coastal areas and to extreme climate events. As a result, human activities such as construction, agriculture and food harvesting, provoke habitat degradation and biodiversity loss which will have further devastating consequences. The degradation and unsustainable use of these ecosystems have major drawbacks to the elimination of extreme poverty because this is one of the key factors that drive environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. The main goal of this work is to use NHC and digital repositories data (including scientific literature) to assess how biodiversity loss and habitat degradation affect ecosystem functioning and services provided by marine invertebrate communities of mangroves and seagrass meadows in the West and East African coast, using the case study of Mozambique and Príncipe’s Island. These will lead to the construction of a comprehensive dataset, an ecological model and a framework adapted to marine invertebrate biodiversity from Mozambique’s (MZ) and São Tomé and Príncipe’s (STP) mangroves and seagrasses as tools:1) integrate and disseminate marine invertebrate biodiversity data gathered along a spatio-temporal scale; 2) compare marine invertebrate assemblies from pristine and impacted habitats in African countries and predict the progress of these communities to habitat degradation and biodiversity loss; and 3) manage ecosystem functioning and services delivered by marine invertebrate assemblages under anthropogenic and environmental pressure scenarios. Specifically this project intends to: compile and integrate the available information contained in NHC and DED to develop a comprehensive spatio-temporal dataset on marine invertebrate biodiversity (e.g. species, number of individuals, local of occurrence and georeferencing, date of collection/observation), as well as mangroves and seagrasses distribution along the Mozambique’s and Príncipe’s coasts; assess different indexes of invertebrate marine biodiversity, biodiversity and habitat spatio-temporal distribution; develop an ecological network approach to assess the functional links of marine invertebrate communities within the studied habitats, and to refine their role in ecosystem functioning, as well as ecosystem services (ES) provided by marine invertebrates in mangroves and seagrasses from MZ and STP; construct a model to evaluate the ecological responses of mangrove and seagrass invertebrate communities to habitat degradation and biodiversity loss and to predict multi-dimensional (spatial, temporal, and social) trade-offs in local/regional ecosystem services along a spatio-temporal gradient; develop a practical framework to manage and preserve ecosystem functioning and services delivered by mangrove and seagrass marine invertebrates under a global change scenario. compile and integrate the available information contained in NHC and DED to develop a comprehensive spatio-temporal dataset on marine invertebrate biodiversity (e.g. species, number of individuals, local of occurrence and georeferencing, date of collection/observation), as well as mangroves and seagrasses distribution along the Mozambique’s and Príncipe’s coasts; assess different indexes of invertebrate marine biodiversity, biodiversity and habitat spatio-temporal distribution; develop an ecological network approach to assess the functional links of marine invertebrate communities within the studied habitats, and to refine their role in ecosystem functioning, as well as ecosystem services (ES) provided by marine invertebrates in mangroves and seagrasses from MZ and STP; construct a model to evaluate the ecological responses of mangrove and seagrass invertebrate communities to habitat degradation and biodiversity loss and to predict multi-dimensional (spatial, temporal, and social) trade-offs in local/regional ecosystem services along a spatio-temporal gradient; develop a practical framework to manage and preserve ecosystem functioning and services delivered by mangrove and seagrass marine invertebrates under a global change scenario.

Research that connects the effects of urbanization on biodiversity and ecosystem services is lacking. Ants perform multifarious ecological functions that stabilize ecosystems and contribute to a number of ecosystem services. We studied responses of ant communities to urbanization in the Lake Tahoe basin by sampling sites along a gradient of urban land development. We sampled ant communities, measured vegetation characteristics, quantified human activities, and evaluated ant-community responses by grouping ants into service-providing units (SPUs), defined as a group of organisms and their populations that perform specific ecosystem services, to provide an understanding of urbanization impacts on biodiversity and their delivery of ecosystem services. Species richness and abundance peaked at intermediate levels of urban development, as did the richness of 3 types of ant SPUs (aerators, decomposers, and compilers). With increasing land development aerator and decomposer ants significantly declined in abundance, whereas compiler ants significantly increased in abundance. Competing models demonstrated that precipitation was frequently among the strongest influences on ant community structure; however, urban development and human activities also had a strong, negative influence on ants, appearing in most models with DeltaAIC(c) < 2 for species richness and abundance patterns of SPUs and generalists. Response diversity was observed within SPUs, which suggests that the corresponding ecosystem services were maintained until development reached 30-40%. Our data provide evidence that ecosystem functions, such as water infiltration and soil productivity, may be diminished at sites subject to greater levels of urbanization and that conserving ant communities and the ecosystem services they provide could be an important target in land-use planning and conservation efforts.

Adapting ecosystem restoration for sustainable development in a changing world

Environmental impact assessment and monetary ecosystem service valuation of an ecosystem under different future environmental change and management scenarios; a case study of a Scots pine forest

Quantifying, modelling and mapping ecosystem services is an important step to the application of ecosystem services in practice and decision making. Watersheds are functional entities that provide an appropriate spatial scale for water flow analysis and integrate all the processes that occur within their boundaries. Multiple ecosystem functions occur within watersheds, providing water-related ecosystem services such as freshwater provision, groundwater recharge, water purification and flood regulation. A matrix approach was applied, linking different land cover types within watersheds to different ecosystem functions and services. Supply capacities of different land cover types and respective changes over time were assessed. By applying the watershed-based hydrologic model KINEROS and the GIS based AGWA tool, water retention functions of different land cover classes in the Bulgarian case study areas Malki Iskar, Vidima and Yantra were assessed. Based on the modelling results, flood regulating ecosystem service supply capacities were quantified and mapped in the three watersheds. A digital elevation model, land cover information and accessibility data were used to compile maps of demands for flood regulating ecosystem services. Supply-demand budgets were calculated and mapped for the study areas using the flood regulation supply and demand maps. The results quantify and illustrate complex ecosystem function–service–benefit relations in watersheds. Comparable procedures and calculation algorithms can be applied for other ecosystem functions and services relevant on the watershed scale. The approach is transferable to other regions and can provide important information for integrated watershed management.

Where agriculture expands into tropical and subtropical forests, social–ecological impacts are typically strong. However, where and how frontier development impacts on ecosystem functioning and services is often unclear, including which services trade‐off against agricultural production. This constitutes a major barrier towards planning for more sustainable outcomes in deforestation frontiers. Here we assessed spatiotemporal change in multiple ecosystem services in the Argentine Chaco, a global deforestation hotspot. We modelled and mapped five ecosystem functions (i.e. carbon storage in biomass, carbon storage in soil, erosion control, excess rainfall retention by vegetation and soil fertility) which together provide three ecosystem services (i.e. agricultural suitability, climate regulation and flood regulation) for 1985, 2000 and 2013. We then employed this information to identify and map: (a) main trade‐offs between ecosystem services and agricultural production, and (b) bundles of changes in ecosystem services through the use of Self‐Organizing Maps. Our results highlight that land‐use changes since 1985 have led to widespread and drastic declines in ecosystem functions and services across the Argentine Chaco. Mean losses of ecosystem services ranged between 6% and 10% for flood regulation, climate regulation and agricultural suitability. The largest losses occurred in the Dry Chaco subregion between 2000 and 2013. We find two main types of trade‐offs between regulating ecosystem services and agricultural production. Increases in crop and pasture production occurred along with large and moderate losses, respectively, in flood regulation and climate regulation over 20% of the region. Our mapping of bundles identified five common patterns of change in ecosystem services, delineating areas of stable or degrading ecosystem service supply. This provides a powerful template for adaptive spatial planning. Synthesis and applications. Using the Argentinean Chaco as an example, we demonstrate how combining fine‐scale land‐use maps with biophysical models provides deep insights into the spatiotemporal patterns of changes in ecosystem services, and their trade‐offs with agricultural production. The periodic updating of maps of trade‐offs and bundles of change in ecosystem services provides key inputs for the adaptive management of highly dynamic and threatened landscapes, such as those in tropical and subtropical deforestation frontiers.

The role of palaeoecological records in assessing ecosystem services

Background/Question/Methods Experimental research has well established that biodiversity has a large effect on the delivery of multiple ecosystem services (multifunctionality), and thus on human well-being. However, it remains unclear how land use intensity mediates biodiversity-ecosystem functioning interactions in real world ecosystems. In order to understand the importance of biodiversity loss on ecosystem multifunctionality, it is crucial to quantify the relative strengths of direct land-use effects and indirect effects mediated by biodiversity and functional composition. The Biodiversity Exploratories project has conducted exemplary research investigating the effects of land use intensity on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in temperate grasslands and forests over more than 10 years. We sampled 15 ecosystem functions or services (ecosystem services hereafter) and nine trophic groups, including 4,600 above- and below-ground taxa in 150 grasslands and 150 forests plots differing in land-use intensity. We also introduced multifunctionality measures in which ecosystem services were weighted according to realistic land-use objectives. Results/Conclusions In grasslands, we found that land-use intensification reduced diversity across multiple trophic levels. This loss of diversity affects ecosystem functioning and services because high species richness in multiple trophic groups (multitrophic richness) is needed for high multifunctionality. Multitrohic diversity had stronger positive effects on ecosystem services than richness in any individual trophic group. On average, three trophic groups influenced each ecosystem service, with each trophic group influencing at least one service. Multitrophic richness was particularly beneficial for ‘regulating’ and ‘cultural’ services, and for multifunctionality, whereas a change in the total abundance of species or biomass in multiple trophic groups positively affected supporting services. Multitrophic richness and abundance drove ecosystem functioning as strongly as abiotic conditions and land-use intensity. In forests, we found that management determined the number and type of ecosystem services provided and biodiversity levels. Intensive forestry, characterized by dense, conifer forests, provided only a few services and involve larger trade-offs between services. Open old-grown unmanaged forests provided the largest number of ecosystem services and supported higher levels of biodiversity, especially when they were mixed forests including oaks and conifers. Finally, by using novel measures of multifunctionality, in which services were weighted according to management objectives, we were also able to show that the relationships between land use, biodiversity, functional composition and multifunctionality depend greatly on the services required. Therefore, a combination of forests and grasslands of different land use intensity provide multiple ecosystem services and support higher levels of biodiversity at the landscape scale.

Place/culture/representation: James Duncan and David Ley (Eds), (London: Routledge, 1993. Pp. vi+217. £14.99 paperback)

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 生物多样性与生态系统服务——关系、权衡与管理 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201803160519 作者: 作者单位: 中国林业科学研究院,中国林业科学研究院,中国林业科学研究院 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家重点研发计划课题（2016YFD060020602） Relationships and trade-offs between, and management of biodiversity and ecosystem services Author: Affiliation: Chinese Academy of Forestry,Chinese Academy of Forestry,Chinese Academy of Forestry Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:生物多样性和生态系统服务是人类生存和社会经济可持续发展的物质基础，应对生物多样性丧失和生态系统服务退化问题已经成为继气候变化之后的又一个全球性环境热点问题。生物多样性是生态系统生产力、稳定性、抵抗生物入侵以及养分动态的主要决定因素，生物多样性越高，生态系统功能性状的范围越广，生态系统服务质量就越高越稳定。目的是探讨生物多样性和生态系统服务之间的关系：（1）明确了生物多样性与生态系统过程、功能、服务之间的关系；（2）生物多样性在生态系统服务中的角色：生物多样性在不同的空间尺度通过各种形式的运行机制与生态系统服务产生联系，生物多样性是生态系统过程的调节者，是巩固生态系统服务的一个重要因素，生物多样性也是一种终极的生态系统服务，并在遗传和物种水平上直接贡献了其利益和价值；（3）生物多样性与生态系统服务权衡和协同关系的研究可以更好的帮助管理人员做出有利的决策和保护工作，也是制定规划和适应策略以减少生物多样性危机带来的不利影响的基础；（4）生物多样性与生态系统服务的关系在不同的时间和空间尺度上是不恒定的，有必要共同确定生态系统服务和生物多样性的空间格局，以有效和可持续的进行生态系统管理；（5）虽然生物多样性保护和生态系统管理还存在许多不确定性，但相关理论应该在管理、保护和恢复生态系统中发挥重要作用。研究提出了进一步研究的领域，以促进生物多样性保护和生态系统服务提供之间的协同作用。希望对相关领域的研究有所帮助。 Abstract:Biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) are the material basis for the sustainable development of human survival and socio-economics, biodiversity loss and ES degradation have become hot global environmental issues following climate change. Biodiversity is a major determining factor for ecosystem productivity, stability, resistance to biological invasions, and nutrient dynamics. ES shows a high-level of quality and stability at high-levels of biodiversity and ecosystem function. We therefore aim to explore the relationships between biodiversity and ES. It is important to clarify the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem processes, functions, and services. The role that biodiversity plays in ES can be resolved by recognising that different relations exist at the various levels of the ES hierarchy: Biodiversity is the regulator of ecosystem processes and an important factor in consolidating ES, biodiversity is also an ultimate ES and directly contributes to their interests and values at the genetic and species level. Improving the understanding of key relationships between biodiversity and ES provisions will help guide effective management and protection strategies. Research on the tradeoffs and synergies of biodiversity and ES can help managers make favorable decisions for protection, and it is also the basis for planning adaptation strategies to reduce adverse effects of a biodiversity crisis. The link between biodiversity and ES is not constant across different temporal and spatial scales, so it is necessary to jointly determine the spatial patterns of ES and biodiversity for an effective and sustainable plan for ecosystem management. Although there are still many uncertainties in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management, theory should play an important role in managing, conserving, and restoring ecosystems. The issues discussed here should receive further attention in the context of the multiple goals for sustainable management. Lastly, further research was concluded by proposing areas for the fostering of conservation synergies between biodiversity and ES. It is expected to be helpful for future research in related fields. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

The original focus on supply of ecosystem services is shifting toward matching supply and demand. This new focus underlines the need to consider not only the amount of ecosystem services but also their spatial and temporal distributions relative to demand. Ecosystem functions and services have characteristic or salient scales that are defined by the scales at which the producing organisms or communities exist and function. Provision of ecosystem services (ES) and functions can be managed optimally by controlling the spatio-temporal distribution of landscape and community components. A simple model represents distributions of ES as kernels centered at the location of interventions such as grassland restoration or establishment of nesting habitat for pollinators. Distribution kernels allow non-habitat patches to receive ecosystem services from species they cannot support. Simulations for three contrasting ES producing organisms (bumblebees, Northern Harriers, and oak trees) show the effects of interacting distribution of interventions and demand for ES. More ES demand is met when the intervention is spread out in the landscape and demand is evenly distributed, particularly when the kernel radius is much larger than the minimum intervention required for the ES producing unit to be established. Because different functions have different reaches and saturation points, the level of ES demand met at any point in space can be modulated by controlling the spatial distribution of landscape components created by interventions. Different ES can be promoted by the same type and quantity of intervention by controlling the continuum of scales in the distribution of interventions. This work provides a conceptual and quantitative basis to consider the spatial design of interventions to match ES supply and demand.

Towards a multidimensional view of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a changing world

Linking Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning and Services, and Ecological Resilience

Response-effect trait overlap and correlation in riparian plant communities suggests sensitivity of ecosystem functioning and services to environmental change

Insect pollination is an economically important ecosystem service that depends heavily on wild pollinators. Landscape transformation caused by conversion to agriculture threatens habitats of wild pollinators, reducing their potential to provide ecosystem services. The landscape in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, is an example of a region undergoing landscape transformation, from biodiverse natural forests, to intermediate land uses such as fallow shrubland and jungle rubber, to monospecific oil palm plantations. My dissertation explores how transitions between these land uses impact pollinator biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services. I consider different facets of this interface: the impacts of adjacent forest on pollination services to oil palm; mechanisms driving ecosystem functions and services following agroforestry enrichment within oil palm; and landscape-scale comparisons quantifying interacting local and landscape effects on a native pollinator species.&#13;\n&#13;\nMy first chapter reviews the state of the knowledge of oil palm pollination by insects. I conducted a systematic review of biotic and abiotic drivers of oil palm pollination and pollinator populations. I present the current understanding of the globally introduced West African Weevil (Elaeidobius kamerunicus), whose regional population fluctuations have negatively impacted yield and resilience, as well as other potential pollinator species endemic to particular growing regions. Based on my review, I describe specific issues concerning biotic, management, and climate drivers of pollination that should be the focus of future oil palm pollination research.&#13;\n&#13;\nIn my second chapter, I examine the role that natural habitat can play as a source of pollination ecosystem services and ecological spillover effects in an oil palm field experiment. I compared treatments controlling visitors and pollination of female oil palm inflorescences over a distance gradient from an adjacent forest border. I found that exclusion of all visitors significantly decreased fruit set compared to other treatments, confirming insect pollination is necessary for adequate yield. Forest proximity had a significant positive effect on fruit set when large visitors were excluded. This effect was not significant for treatments that minimized pollinator contributions, suggesting this trend was not due to abiotic factors. However, insect abundances associated with oil palm inflorescences were not strongly related to distance from forest, and only E. kamerunicus had a significant relationship with fruit set. These results could suggest that non-consumptive ecological spillover from forests may influence oil palm pollination, though more experimental work is needed to identify these interactions. &#13;\n&#13;\nIn my third chapter, I explore how enriching the oil palm agricultural matrix with up to six tree species played a role in driving insect-mediated ecosystem functions. Within a plantation-scale, long-term oil palm biodiversity enrichment project, I disentangled the direct and indirect effects of enrichment on services (pollination, biocontrol) and disservices (herbivory) using random partition analysis and structural equation models. These models indicate that changes in canopy openness, driven by enrichment treatments, played an important role in ecological patterns at multiple levels of interaction. These had effects on herbivorous insects and pollinators, the latter of which had a positive effect on the fruit production of phytometer plants (Capsicum annuum) placed in the plots. Our results show that, even in early stages of ecological restoration of oil palm, ecosystem functions and services can be affected. These effects are mediated by decreasing canopy openness; however, these relationships may change as enrichment communities continue to develop.&#13;\n&#13;\nIn my fourth chapter, I examine the counterbalancing roles of local land use and amount of landscape habitat in pollinator survival and growth, using the native stingless bee Tetragonula laeviceps as a focal species. I established three colonies in 40 plots within Jambi’s transformation landscape, selecting from four predominant habitat types (degraded primary forest, shrubland, rubber plantation, and oil palm plantation) and controlling for a gradient of natural habitat (i.e., forest and shrubland) composition in a 500 m radius. I found that hives with higher local flower species richness had more pollen stores, which in turn was associated with increased bee and colony size. Colonies in structurally complex habitats such as forest and rubber plantations had lower mortality and greater gains in hive size than colonies in open habitats such as oil palm and shrubland; however, open habitats had higher flower species richness and abundance. Open habitats, which are increasing with rainforest conversion, reduce suitable nesting habitat but may increase floral resources in the landscape. Considering the key pollinating function of stingless bees, understanding how this trade-off translates to landscape and population scales will be critical in light of the continued deforestation crisis in the tropics.&#13;\n&#13;\nIn summary, understanding and protecting the resources supporting pollination are critical to improving the sustainability of oil palm and can support the livelihoods of people living in the landscape. The impact of habitat loss from agriculture conversion can adversely impact wild pollinator populations through the loss of suitable habitats, as I observed with T. laeviceps, but also changes the flowering resource landscape. In my review of oil palm pollination, I show that a better understanding of biodiversity and landscape drivers of pollination of oil palm itself is needed. My own oil palm field experiment demonstrates how natural habitat and biodiversity may interact positively with oil palm production. I show in my experiments within the oil palm biodiversity enrichment project that tree biodiversity enrichment can indirectly influence pollination services and ecosystem functions, even at an early stage. However, the ecosystem services and disservices affected by ecological restoration will continue to change as the ecological community develops. Our task in future research will be to continue to disentangle these relationships with the aim of recovering or preserving biodiversity and ecosystem function while informing sustainable ecological strategies for farmers and land managers.