Uploaded on 2016-04-04 by lillian-krishen_99

What ecosystem services do you have in and around your living area? Give at least one example for each of the four types of ecosystem services. a. Provisioning services Provisioning Services are ecosystem services that describe the material or energy outputs from ecosystems. They include food, water and other resources. Food Raw Materials Fresh Water Medicinal Resources b. Regulating services Regulating Services are the services that ecosystems provide by acting as regulators eg. regulating the quality of air and soil or by providing flood and disease control. Local climate and air quality c. Habitat or Supporting services Habitats for species d. Cultural services Aesthetic appreciation and inspiration for culture, art and design Spiritual experience and sense of place Make clear in your answer where you can find the ecosystem service and what the ecosystem offers to your living area. To support your answers you are asked to provide one or more images for every example that describe the respective services. a. Provisioning services b. Regulating services c. Habitat or Supporting services d. Cultural services (Downloaded from TEEB) Provisioning Services Provisioning Services are ecosystem services that describe the material or energy outputs from ecosystems. They include food, water and other resources. Food: Ecosystems provide the conditions for growing food. Food comes principally from managed agro-ecosystems but marine and freshwater systems or forests also provide food for human consumption. Wild foods from forests are often underestimated. Raw materials: Ecosystems provide a great diversity of materials for construction and fuel including wood, biofuels and plant oils that are directly derived from wild and cultivated plant species. Fresh water: Ecosystems play a vital role in the global hydrological cycle, as they regulate the flow and purification of water. Vegetation and forests influence the quantity of water available locally. Medicinal resources: Ecosystems and biodiversity provide many plants used as traditional medicines as well as providing the raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. All ecosystems are a potential source of medicinal resources. Regulating Services Regulating Services are the services that ecosystems provide by acting as regulators eg. regulating the quality of air and soil or by providing flood and disease control. Local climate and air quality: Trees provide shade whilst forests influence rainfall and water availability both locally and regionally. Trees or other plants also play an important role in regulating air quality by removing pollutants from the atmosphere. Habitat and Supporting Services Habitats for species: Habitats provide everything that an individual plant or animal needs to survive: food; water; and shelter. Each ecosystem provides different habitats that can be essential for a species’ lifecycle. Migratory species including birds, fish, mammals and insects all depend upon different ecosystems during their movements. Cultural Services Recreation and mental and physical health: Walking and playing sports in green space is not only a good form of physical exercise but also lets people relax. The role that green space plays in maintaining mental and physical health is increasingly being recognized, despite difficulties of measurement. Aesthetic appreciation and inspiration for culture, art and design: Language, knowledge and the natural environment have been intimately related throughout human history. Biodiversity, ecosystems and natural landscapes have been the source of inspiration for much of our art, culture and increasingly for science. Spiritual experience and sense of place: In many parts of the world natural features such as specific forests, caves or mountains are considered sacred or have a religious meaning. Nature is a common element of all major religions and traditional knowledge, and associated customs are important for creating a sense of belonging. The annual rainfall over India is 1170 mm. It is more than any where else in the world for a country of comparable size. From precipitation alone, India receives 4000 billion cubic meters (BCM), including snow fall. Of this 3⁄4 part occurs only during the monsoon. A good part of it is lost through the process of evaporation and plant transpiration, leaving only half of it on the land for us to use. After allowing for evapotranspiration losses the country’s surface flow is estimated as 1880 BCM. Due to topographical, hydrological and other constraints, it is assessed that only about 700 BCM of surface water can be put to beneficial use. The annual replenishable ground water resources are assessed to be about 600 BCM of which the annual usable resources are estimated at 420 BCM. Since independence, the country has been planning to best utilize this water by prolonging its stay on land by using engineering innovations such as dams and barrages. Fresh Water Resources There are three main sources of fresh water in our country. These are: rivers, lakes and ground water. Water is collected and distributed for various uses, domestic and industrial purposes and for irrigation. The domestic water is mostly used for drinking, bathing, washing, cleaning and flushing the toilets. Since domestic water is used for drinking, it requires high purity. The major sources of drinking water are rivers, lakes and groundwater. Drinking water or potable water is either directly collected from sources as in most of our rural areas or supplied by different agencies like municipal authorities or public health departments. The surface water generally requires treatment before supply for drinking as they are often found contaminated. Ground water, on the other hand, is usually free of microbes and suspended solids because of natural filtration as the water moves through soil, though it often contains relatively high concentrations of dissolved minerals from its direct contact with soil and rock. Emerging as the capital's most visited public place and prominent center for learning and understanding the environment, the Yamuna Biodiverstity Park has become a home for biologically rich wetlands, grassland communities, a wide variety of fruit yielding species and an abundance of medicinal herbs. The Park also comprises a native flora and fauna which used to exist a 100 years ago and then became extinct locally. It further, acts as a natural conservation site for specific group of endangered plants. The Yamuna Biodiversity Park is presently spread over an area of approximately 457 acres near Wazirabad village on the flat alluvial plains of the Yamuna. ![Image of Water Tank in the vicinity][1] ![Image of Temple - Spiritual - Place of worship][2] ![Image of Squirrel - climbing up the tree to go home.][3] ![Image of Mother Dairy - Supply of food stuff and milk.][4] • Medicinal plants are found in the park close to my place of residence. • Trees are constantly being planted in the park and close by areas. This cleans the area. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1459760272464376.jpeg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14597603202508158.jpeg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14597603748379137.jpeg [4]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14597604357791764.jpeg