Fundamentals of Conservation Biology. Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr.. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr.
Издательство: John Wiley & Sons Limited
Серия:
Жанр произведения: Биология
Год издания: 0
isbn: 9781119144175
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a treatment plant (Gude et al. 2014; Wu et al. 2015), and can play a key role in mitigating floods (Acreman and Holden 2013). Dune and salt‐marsh ecosystems provide an invaluable service during coastal storms by buffering upland areas. Coastal wetlands export nutrients and organic matter to adjacent estuaries where they support economically valuable fisheries (Fig. 4.5). Forests export high‐quality water to aquatic ecosystems and urban water supplies. This list could go on and on because for virtually every ecosystem we could identify services that would be very expensive to replace artificially. Access to the recreational services of ecosystems is the basis for an enormous array of commercial enterprises. These can be as simple as bus trips for city dwellers to visit a forest or lake on a Saturday afternoon, or they can be as all‐inclusive as completely catered “ecotours” to coral reefs, tropical forests, Antarctic islands, and so on (Honey 2008).

Photo depicts a river flow along side a farming land.

      (Trish Hartmann/Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

       Spiritual Values

      (Sean Pavone/Shutterstock)

       Scientific and Educational Values

      Ecology has become a very sophisticated science, but we still cannot hope to understand an ecosystem fully. This dilemma is apparent when you think of ecology as the apex of a pyramid with biology as the next layer below, earth sciences such as geology and climatology forming the third layer, chemistry the fourth, and physics the foundation. Of course, ecologists do not need an intimate familiarity with quantum physics to be effective, but they do need a basic understanding of thermodynamics, electromagnetic radiation, and many other aspects of physics. In contrast, a physicist can be highly successful and understand nothing about ecology. The fact that ecosystems integrate so many phenomena makes them a focal point for scientists trying to monitor how the Earth is changing, particularly in response to human activities. This feature also means that ecosystems are fascinating models for researchers interested in complex systems, for example by modeling how carbon moves through ecosystems to better predict global climate change (Harris et al. 2014).

      Ecosystems are also wonderful models for showing children and adults how everything in the environment can be connected to everything else. Drawing lines between boxes to represent the functional relationships of those boxes can become an extremely complex exercise. Alternatively, it can be as simple as drawing lines between the sun, a plant, and an animal to form a food chain and then adding more boxes and lines to create a food web. How did that cup of coffee you are drinking get into your hands? In short, we can all learn a great deal from ecosystems.

       Ecological Values

      The ecological interactions that are the basis of ecosystems are absolutely fundamental to life. Try to imagine a planet where dead things did not decompose, where water was not filtered through forests, or where plants did not replenish oxygen. Consequently, it is not really profound or insightful to say that ecosystems have ecological value. Nevertheless, it is extraordinary how often we try to place the well‐being of humanity over the well‐being of the ecosystems on which our lives ultimately depend.

Photo depicts the narrow riparian zones that border river shores are far more important ecologically, to both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

      (Coconino National Forest/Public domain)

       Strategic Values