This document discusses growing ecosystem services and the value they provide. It summarizes that worldwide ecosystem services are worth an average of $33 trillion annually, but many services are declining as land use changes intensify. Specific services like pest control, worth $13.6 billion, and pollination, critical for 75% of crop species, are examined. The status of provisioning, regulating and cultural services is outlined, with many degraded. Soil conservation, carbon sequestration and the role of landscapes in service delivery are also covered. Future trends may include more investment in natural capital and adaptive management. Agricultural practices supporting biodiversity can enhance services and carbon storage.

1. Growing ecosystem services
Charlene Janion-Scheepers
Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa
cjanion@gmail.com
@cjanion

2. Ecosystem services

3. From: Power, 2010 Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B.
Agroecosystems

4. Ecosystem services

5. Value of ecosystem services
Worldwide ecosystem services are worth average of
$33 trillion per year (Costanza et al. 1997)

6. The state of ecosystem services
Ecosystems and Human Well-being
M i l l e n n i u m E c o s y s t e m A s s e s s m e n t
www.millenniumassessment.org

7. Unprecedented change
More land was converted to cropland in the 30 years
after 1950 than in the 150 years between 1700 and
1850.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005

8. Unprecedented change
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005

9. Unprecedented change
Rouget et al. 2003, Biol. Conserv.
Land area transformation
in Fynbos, South Africa

10. Drivers of global change growing in intensity
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005

11. Service Status
Food crops 
livestock 
capture fisheries 
aquaculture 
wild foods 
Fiber timber +/–
cotton, silk +/–
wood fuel 
Genetic resources 
Biochemicals, medicines 
Fresh water 
Status of Provisioning Services
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005

12. Status of Regulating and Cultural Services
Status
Regulating Services
Air quality regulation 
Climate regulation – global 
Climate regulation – regional and local 
Water regulation +/–
Erosion regulation 
Water purification and waste treatment 
Disease regulation +/–
Pest regulation 
Pollination 
Natural hazard regulation 
Cultural Services
Spiritual and religious values 
Aesthetic values 
Recreation and ecotourism +/–
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005

13. Degradation of ecosystem services
Degradation of
ecosystem services often
causes significant harm
to human well-being
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005

14. Ecosystem services

15. Pest control
Value of natural pest control in agricultural crops -
$13.6 billion per year (Losey & Vaughan 2006)
One third – predators and parasitoids
Importance of non-crop habitats
https://www.wur.nl/en/show/Biological-pest-control.htm https://pmgbiology.com/tag/biological-control/ http://m.espacepourlavie.ca/en/biological-control-age

16. Pest control

17. Pest control

18. Pollination
75% of crop species rely on animal pollinators
Economic impact on world food production = Euro 153 billion
Vulnerability to pollinator loss depends on crop specialization and
geographical region

19. Pollination: USA
From: Koh et al. 2015 PNAS

20. Pollination: SA
From: Melin et al. 2014 SAJS
Critical role of floral resource availability at the landscape
and regional scale to sustain pollinators

21. Pollination
From: Carvalheiro et al. 2010 J. Appl. Ecol.

22. Soil
Soil conservation =
maintenance of soil fertility
Prevention of erosion and
nutrient loss

23. Soil
Soil structure, aeration,
decomposition influenced by
soil biota
From: Janion-Scheepers et al. 2016 Pedobiologia
Sien: Landbou weekblad,
1 Desember 2017
a
d e h
f g
b c i j
k l
m n o p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w x2
y1
x1
y2x4
x3

24. Soil
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/13/uk-farmers-to-be-given-first-ever-targets-on-soil-health

25. Carbon sequestration
Landbou weekblad, 2 Maart 2018

26. Carbon sequestration
Carbon sequestration AND biodiversity can be achieved in
agricultural landscapes
Bryan et al. 2015 NCC
Examples of market-based incentives:
• China's Grain for Green programme (China),
• Payment for Ecosystem Services (Costa Rica)
• Conservation Reserve Program (U.S.A) Emissions
Reduction
• Fund (Australia)
• REDD+ mechanism (International)

27. Governmental contributions:
natural capital investment
Investment in
natural capital
2000-2009:
$50 billion
Cost of flood
(1998):
$26 billion

28. Landscapes

29. Future trends
• Major investments in
public goods (e.g.,
education, infrastructure)
and poverty reduction
• Trade barriers and
distorting subsidies
eliminated
• Widespread use of
active adaptive
management
• Investment in
education (countries
spend 13% of GDP on
education, compared to
3.5% today)
• Significant investment in
development of
technologies to increase
efficiency of use of
ecosystem services
• Widespread use of
‘payments for ecosystem
services’ and
development of market
mechanisms
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005

30. Agricultural contributions
Where possible adopt management practices to support
biodiversity, which will enhance ecosystem services and
carbon sequestration
© CIRAD, O.Husson

31. Landscapes influence the delivery of ecosystem services
It pays to change
Increase in yield of 79%

32. From: https://www.saoso.org/
It pays to change

33. From: Power, 2010 Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B.
Agroecosystems

34. Acknowledgements
www.sergsa.org