Fabrice De Clerck wrote: > I have a quick question for the listserve for which I would be > interested in hearing people's opinions, and experiences. > The question is: Is biodiversity an ecosystem service? A good summary which seeks to answer the above question can be found at:
http://www.ecospherics.net/pages/MosqEcoFun5.html The above identifies and describes the various functions provided by biodiversity and ecodiversity that have been instrumental in bringing about the evolution of the Ecosphere. The article identifies 19 functions (things that organisms and ecosystems do for the Ecosphere (which includes the bio part) to have caused it to come to be the way it is). It also summarizes two papers which look at "ecological services" or "ecosystem services" only from the human-centered or anthropocentric value system, i.e. what good do these functions provide for humans and the organisms that feed humans?. Thus, Costanza et al list 17 such human centered "services to us" while Daily identifies 13 (see above URL for refs.). > ....Meanwhile in much of the development and economics literature, > biodiversity itself is a unique service and function where it is not > uncommon to see people state that "we will work with farmers to > improve the capacity of coffee farms to provide critical ecosystem > services such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity and water." In the above, this reminds me of ecologist Stan Rowe's comment " Inaccurate language muddles thought." > Are both correct or is it important to distinguish between > biodiversity serving as a function, and biodiversity as the provider > of services. To say that "biodiversity serves a function" does indeed muddle thought. The latter (provider of services of various types) would be more accurate but at the same time biodiversity is really not separable from ecodiversity. Cheers, Ted -- Ted Mosquin Box 279, Lanark, Ontario K0G 1K0 Canada Anthology of Ecospheric Ethics <www.ecospherics.net <http://www.ecospherics.net>> A Manifesto for Earth (files at:<www.ecospherics.net <http://www.ecospherics.net>>)
