Ecosystems provide many essential services to humans. Four key services have been identified: goods produced by ecosystems like food and timber; natural processes regulated by ecosystems like water and air purification; non-material benefits like recreation and mental well-being; and supporting services like nutrient recycling. While renewable energy production can help address climate change, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert negatively impacted the fragile desert ecosystem during its construction by removing vegetation, confusing and killing birds, using groundwater, and destroying habitats of local species like tortoises.

6. Week A Friday P2 Week B Tuesday P1
Week B Wedn P2 Week C Friday P2
Week D Wedn P2

7. Week B Tues P2 Week B Wed P2
Week D Tues P2 Week D Wed P2
Week D Fri P1

8. Why should ecosystems be protected?
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Friday, 19 March 2021
Learning Objective:
to identify the essential ‘key services’
that ecosystems provide

10. Why should ecosystems be protected?
They provide us an essential service!

11. Why are ecosystem services important?
The natural environment supplies us with a multitude
of life supporting and life enhancing benefits.
•Ecosystems create a breathable
atmosphere and provide us with food ,
fibres, timber and a host of other
raw materials.
•Ecosystems breakdown waste products,
control water supplies & help regulate
climate.
•Ecosystems provide space for
recreation and relaxation
•Ecosystems play an essential role in
creating a sense of place that underpins
our mental and spiritual well-being
4
have been
identified

12. What service does a bee
provide for humans?
They pollinate our
crops, fruit trees,
flowers etc,
What
about an
earthworm?
..so are critical for
food production
Worms are vital
in maintaining
fertility in the
soil. They improve
drainage and
bring nutrients to
the surface.
Learning Objective:-to identify the essential
‘key services’ that ecosystems provide

13. Goods or products
produced by ecosystems
Natural processes
regulated by ecosystems
Non-material benefits
obtained from ecosystems
Functions that maintain all other services

14. -products
provided by
nature, such as
food, timber,
medicine and
energy etc
-services that
regulate our
environment,
such as water
& air cleaning
services
-services that
enrich our lives
such as
recreation,
learning &
tranquility
-supporting
services that
enable other
services to
function eg
nutrient
recycling &
forming new soil
Learning Objective:-to identify the essential
‘key services’ that ecosystems provide

15. Learning Objective:-to identify the essential
‘key services’ that ecosystems provide

17. Ecosystem
Services
What nature
provides us
for free
Learning
Objective:-to
identify the
essential ‘key
services’ that
ecosystems provide

19. Goods or products
produced by ecosystems
Natural processes
regulated by ecosystems
Non-material benefits
obtained from ecosystems
Functions that maintain all other services

20. - Woodlands cover 12% of the
UK land area. Across the UK,
woodlands store around…
- The services
wetlands provide to the UK
economy (flood prevention,
carbon storage, water cleaning)
saves the UK economy at least…
150 million tonnes of carbon.
£6.7bn per annum.
Furthermore these services
have a financial value
..and an environmental value

21. Tropical
Rainforests
Tundra in
Arctic circle
Hot semi-arid
grassland(Savannah)
Saltwater
Marshes
Key Services
Provided
Ecosystem
Provide people with the
opportunity to develop
recreation or tourism businesses
Act as huge stores of carbon
dioxide, so helping to regulate
the greenhouse effect
Support thousands of plants and
wild animals that contain chemicals
that may be useful to medicine
Protect shorelines from
erosion by buffering wave
action and trapping sediments.
They reduce flooding and
protect water quality.
Act as natural coastal defences
against storm surges, strong
winds and coastal floods
Sand dunes
TASK- decide
which statement
goes with which
ecosystem
Learning Objective:-to identify
the essential ‘key services’ that
ecosystems provide

22. Tropical
Rainforests
Tundra in
Arctic circle
Hot semi-arid
grassland(Savannah)
Saltwater
Marshes
Key Services
Provided
Ecosystem
Provide people with the opportunity to
develop recreation or tourism businesses
Protect shorelines from erosion by buffering
wave action and trapping sediments. They
reduce flooding and protect water quality.
Act as natural coastal defences
against storm surges, strong
winds and coastal floods
Sand dunes
Support thousands of plants and
wild animals that contain chemicals
that may be useful to medicine
Act as huge stores of carbon
dioxide, so helping to regulate
the greenhouse effect

23. TASK Make a Venn diagram and use
Figure 3 to add examples of the
environmental, economic and social
benefits of ecosystems.
Environment &
Econ- not social
Social &
Econ-
not
Environ
Social &
Environ-
not
Economic
All 3
Climate
Regulation
Eco Tourism

25. Week A Friday P2 Week B Tuesday P1
Week B Wedn P2 Week C Friday P2
Week D Wedn P2

26. Learning Objective:
-to understand how humans use, modify,
and change ecosystems in order to obtain
food, energy and water resources
Friday, 19 March 2021

28. 1. In the UK the landscape has been
modified by overgrazing animals.
80% of deciduous woodlands
have been cleared, for sheep &
dairy farming & crop farming

29. Dairy farming
Sheep farming
Crop farming
Wheat- for flour, cereals etc

31. How might the production of renewable
energy affect ecosystems
In 2014 a new solar
furnace opened called the
Ivanpah Solar Electric
Generating System
It is located in the
Mojave Desert in
California, 64 km south-
west of Las Vegas.
Sunlight is focused by 173,000 mirrors
onto three 138 m high solar power towers.
The heat from the Sun generates steam to drive
turbines that generate enough electricity for
140,000 homes. The project cost $2.2 billion and
covers 360,000 hectares of land.

32. The complex will reduce
carbon dioxide (CO 2)
emissions by more than
400,000 tons per year
To produce clean energy
Why was it built?
To address climate change
To improve local air quality;
This solar thermal energy
system was designed to
minimize it’s impact on
natural habitats.
2. Generating energy
In the Mojave Desert in
California, south-west of
Las Vegas, a new solar
furnace opened called the
Ivanpah Solar Electric
Generating System

33. It has had an impact on the fragile desert ecosystem.
Vegetation had to be removed during construction,
leading to the destruction of rare plants.
Birds are confused by the mirrors, mistaking them
for water and are also killed by flying into the
concentrated rays.
Groundwater is used
to wash the mirrors
(in an already dry place)
The habitats of the
golden eagle and
bighorn sheep have
been destroyed, and over 130 desert tortoises
have been killed or displaced.