2.4 Ecosystem Services

(Pages 69-77)

Homework: Page 78 #1-8

• When a species

occupies its niche, it provides ecosystem services for other organisms.

• Forests influence climate and play a vital role in the regulation of watersheds.

• Insects provide many ecosystem services, including pollination and decomposition.

• The health of migratory bird populations is dependent on the health of the ecosystems they visit during their migration.

• Ecological connectivity means that international co-operation is necessary to keep ecosystems sustainable.

• Visual beauty and spiritual appreciation are two services that ecosystems provide for humans.

The Ecosystem Services Provided by Forests:

1. What are ecosystem services?

Ecosystem services are the benefits experienced by organisms, including humans that are provided by sustainable ecosystems.

2. List examples of ecosystem services provided by the biosphere.

a) The cycling of nutrients.

b) The provision of food and water.

c) The conversion of atmospheric carbon into biomass (climate and weather)

d) The pollination of crops and natural vegetation.

e) The balance of processes such as growth and decomposition.

f) The provision of beauty and spirituality.

3. Briefly describe how forests can influence climate. • Trees extract huge amounts of water from

the soil. • On hot days, much of this water escapes

through the leaves, adding water vapour to the atmosphere.

• This helps reduce temperature and form rain clouds.

• When large forested area are cleared, the local precipitation drops and the climate gets hotter.

• Trees help purify the air by reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere

Insects and Ecosystems Services:

4. Explain the process of pollination. Give three examples of pollinators .

• Pollination takes place when a male pollen from one flower fertilizes the female ovary in another flower of the same species (cross pollination)

• or when a flower pollinates themselves or another flower from the same plant (self pollination).

• Three examples of pollinators are………..

5. What is decomposition? List examples of insects that aid in the decomposition of organic wastes.

• Decomposition is a 5th ecological relationship; it is known as the breakdown of organic wastes and dead organisms.

• Examples that aid in the decomposition of organic wastes are insects, bacteria & fungi

6. What ecosystem services do insects provide?

The ecosystem services that insects provide are:

1. The decomposition of organic wastes and dead organisms

2. Nutrients cycling

The Role of Migratory Birds: 7. What ecosystem service do aerial

insectivores provide?

Aerial insectivores consume insects that

are considered pests of crops and trees.

(they consume flying insects especially

insects above trees).

8. Describe what graph in figure 2.25 shows.

The graph shows the decline of bird

species that eat flying insects because of poorly regulated use of insecticides & habitat destruction.

What insect do you see on this flower? _______________