Deck 26: Ecosystem Health: Human Impacts

Question 1

Discuss the economic and ecological meanings of the word "value." Is there a difference? What activities might an economist include in a valuation of the use of freshwater? Does economics value the nonuse of a resource like lake water? Wilson and Carpenter (1999) discuss these issues.

Answer 1

The term "value" possesses multiple definitions and in economics it is defined as a relationship between price and quality, which means that a product or service will receive a higher value rating as the benefits are offered and are expanded further or the price is reduced. Value in economics is measured relative to currency units and the interpretation. Value is also linked to price via the exchange mechanism. The economic value is expressed as the amount of desirable condition or it might be given up in exchange for other desired commodity. Yes, there exist a difference between the economic value and the ecological value.
Natural communities are considered as a finely-tuned system in which species possess an ecological value against other species which are also a mandatory part of an ecosystem. Ecological values are defined as level of benefits that space, biota, mineral, water, and other factors contribute to support native life forms.
In the study done by Wilson and Carpenter, the cost and benefit of the lake management strategies are not explained explicitly in the study model. The model also lacks a great amount of economic and ecological information.
The data seem insufficient for estimating economic uncertainties and the project may also change considering economic parameters. Since there is no economic data available, the analysis of economic policy for lake management will be hypothetical.

Question 2

Find two or three quotations in the current media that include "sustainability" and discuss the concept of sustainabilily, its origin in recent times, and the ways in which it is currently used in discussions of environmental problems.

Answer 2

Sustainability is the capacity to maintain a particular task which requires support and endurance. Human sustainability has been adequately related to economic, social, and environmental dimensions. In ecology, the term sustainability explains the process by which biological systems are present in the diverse form and at the same time, productive enough for humans and various other organisms. Forests and wetlands are considered as examples of biological sustainable systems. The quotes used in media including "sustainability" are given below.
"Economic growth which is deprived of social and environmental sustainability will make everything worse."
"Eradication of poverty, manipulating the unsustainable along with the promotion of sustainable pattern of production and consumption, protecting the natural resource base of social and economic development all are considered as the objectives for reaching sustainable development."
" Sustainability is concerned with the set of actions decided by present persons that will not fade the prospects of future persons for enjoying the levels of consumptions, utility, and wealth, compared to those enjoyed by present persons."
Sustainability generally interfaces with the economics via ecological and social consequences of the economic activity. It also represents a broad sense of ecological economics where the ecological and environmental variables are part of multidimensional prospective. There has been a strong correlation between environmental degradation and economic growth with the growth of communities, environment declines. Environmental problems such as the greenhouse effect are considered as major "sustainability" issues. Sustainability is also concerned with welfare for future generations.

Question 3

Some authors have argued that biological invasions are nothing new and have occurred throughout evolutionary time. Imagine that you are an alien scientist visiting a new continent with no prior information about which species are native and which are exotic. How would you decide which species are "pests" and would your job be easier if someone gave you a list of which species are exotics and which are natives? Larson (2007) discusses this question.

Answer 3

The concept of alien scientist visiting to a new place and his ability to distinguish between native and exotic species was first suggested by Brown and Sax in their research in the year 2005. Brown and Sax explained that the invasion biologists involved in such studies should preferably be more judgmental about the exotic species instead of demonstrating a solid response against them.
If an alien scientist visits, a new planet he/she should notice the world around new species. If a "biodiversity value" is acknowledged by scientist it may help them to understand the changes taken place globally due to human activities or some other organism.
Invasive species also hold tremendous effect on the daily life of many people. Hence, it is required that ecological knowledge should be applied in cases where invasive species cause a problem. Hence, it would be easier if alien scientist is given a list of native and exotic species.

Question 4

Discuss how the payoff matrix might be used to evaluate decisions about the introduction of genetically modified crops to a new country. Is it possible to put a dollar figure on future risks?

Question 5

While most evaluations of the benefits of ecosystem services give a positive value, Clinch (1999) estimated the value of water supply provisioning in an Irish temperate forest at minus $20 per hectare. Review the general issue of evaluating the dollar benefits of ecosystem services and discuss how some potential services might in fact have a negative value.

Question 6

The concept of ecosystem health has been criticized as a concept that applies well to individuals but poorly to a whole ecosystem. Discuss the application of the idea of health to populations, communities, and ecosystems. Rapport et al. (1998) discuss this question.

Question 7

Review the projections that have been given for the human population from the 1970s to the current time, and discuss how and why they have changed during the last 40 years. The United Nations, the Population Reference Bureau, and the U.S. Census Bureau provide Web sites. Keilman (1999) discusses the issue.

Question 8

Nitrogen is often a critical nutrient limiting crop growth, and yet it occurs in abundance in the atmosphere. Discuss the nitrogen requirements of modern agriculture and the possible ways in which nitrogen requirements of crops can be provided in a sustainable manner. Crews (2005) discusses this problem.

Question 9

Are there ecosystem services that cannot be evaluated in dollars? Is it necessary to place a monetary value on environmental concerns in order to obtain political action? Pearce et al. (2007) discuss this issue with respect to biodiversity.

Question 10

If agricultural production is to provide for a growing human population, what components of agricultural production must increase in efficiency? Should we grow more food on less land or increase the land under cultivation? Is it feasible to produce more food on less land? Waggoner (1995) and Balmford et al. (2005) discuss the issue of land use for agriculture.