Ecosystem Services of Wetlands in an Energy-Limited Future
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Transcript of Ecosystem Services of Wetlands in an Energy-Limited Future
Ecosystem Services of Wetlands in an Energy-Limited Future
William J. Mitsch, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Environment and Natural ResourcesDirector, Olentangy River Wetland Research Park
Editor-in-Chief, Ecological EngineeringThe Ohio State University
Outline
• The big global issues
• Ecological engineering
• Wetland ecosystem services and human history
• Optimizing ecosystem services of wetlands—6 case studies
• Conclusions
21002000190018000
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10H
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Worldwide human population projection
Source: Mitsch and Jørgensen 2004
Source: Mitsch and Jørgensen 2004
100
80
60
40
20
01900 1920 1940
Atmospheric CO2
Available Nitrogen
1960 1980 2000
Per
cent
Cha
nge
Worldwide carbon and nitrogen
Worldwide oil discovery and production
Source: Day et al., 2009
Worldwide energy use projection
Source: Clugston, 2007
2025-20301800 1900 2000 2100 2200
Quad =1015 BTU or 1.055 × 1018 joules
Qu
ads
/ye
ar
710 Quads
Optimistic
Conservative
Source: Clugston, 2007
200
400
600
800
Ecosystems and Complexity
Natural ecosystems are complex entropy-fighting systems, and in that complexity comes an infinite amount of feedbacks and adaptations that contribute to resiliency.
Human society, as a “part of” nature and not “apart from” nature would do well to recognize and use the important functions of nature (rather than destroy them) to provide a resilient and sustainable society.
Conventional Engineering
Mitsch (1998)
ConventionalEngineer
FossilFuels
NaturalEnergies
Servicesto Society
NaturalEnergies
selfdesign
FossilFuels
Servicesto Society
EcologicalEngineer
Mitsch (1998)
Ecological Engineering
ECOSYSTEM
Ecological Engineering
the design of sustainable ecosystems that integrate human
society with its natural environment for the benefit of both
Source: Mitsch and Jørgensen, 2004.Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem Restoration, J. Wiley.
Biosphere 2 Biomanipulation Prairie Restoration
Soil Bioremediation Wetland Restoration
Solar Aquatics Mineland Restoration
Agroecological Engineering
Wastewater Wetlands
Wetland Creation
more lesshuman engineering
highlowreliance on self-design
sustainability potentiallow high
The Spectrum of Ecological Engineering
Wetlands and riparian ecosystems have major roles in restoring the viability of cities and rural areas
• Water quality improvement• Floodwater retention• Biodiversity islands and corridors• Carbon sequestration• Locations for human relaxation and nature observation/education
Wetlands provide valuable ecosystem services:
Babylonian Cultures in their Watery Environment
Human History and Wetlands
“Marsh Arabs,” southern Iraq
Human History and Wetlands
Camarguais, southern France
Human History and Wetlands
Cajuns, Louisiana (early 1900s)
Human History and Wetlands
Native Americans (Sokaogon Chippewa), Wisconsin
Human History and Wetlands
We have lost an estimated 50% of our original wetlands
in the world.
In Ohio, USA, we have lost 90% of our original
wetlands.
Human History and Wetlands
OPTIMIZING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF WETLANDS
Restoring an ancient culture
Mitsch and Gosselink. 2007Wetlands, 4th ed., J. Wiley
Restoring the Mesopotamian Marshlands
Mitsch and Gosselink. 2007Wetlands, 4th ed., J. Wiley
Restoring the Mesopotamian Marshlands
Mitsch and Gosselink. 2007Wetlands, 4th ed., J. Wiley
Restoring the Mesopotamian Marshlands
Photo by Azzam Alwash, reprinted with permission in Mitsch and Gosselink. 2007Wetlands, 4th ed., J. Wiley
Protecting coastlines and coastal cities
Indian Ocean Tsunami
• 230,000 people killed or missing in late December 2004 as a result of a massive tsunami around the Indian Ocean caused by earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia
• Destruction of mangrove swamps for shrimp farms and tourist meccas bears some of the responsibility.
• In the area hardest hit, 26% of mangrove wetlands, or 1.5 million ha, had been destroyed from 1980 to 2000
Mangrove Tidal Creek, Koh Phra Tong, Phang Nga, Thailand
Before the Indian Ocean Tsunami
Indian Ocean Tsunami
Mangrove Tidal Creek, Koh Phra Tong, Phang Nga, Thailand
After the Boxing Day Tsunami (February 2005)
Indian Ocean Tsunami
Coastal surges and mangrove forests
Pre-tsunami—Simulation models illustrated that a wide (100 m) belt of dense mangrove trees (referred to as a “greenbelt”) could reduce a tsunami pressure flow by more than 90% (Hiraishi and Harada, 2003).
Post tsunami—In an area of S.E. India there was significantly less damage where mangroves had been conserved (Danielsen et al., 2005; Science)
Indian Ocean Tsunami
1839187019932020
Past and Projected Wetland Loss in the Mississippi Delta (1839 to 2020)
NEW ORLEANS
Coastal Louisiana
Hurricane Katrina,Aug 23-29, 2005
1: August 23, 20052: August 26, 20053: August 28, 20054: August 29, 2005
TROPICAL DEPRESSIONTROPICAL STORMCATEGORY 1CATEGORY 2CATEGORY 3CATEGORY 4CATEGORY 5
Coastal Louisiana
Hurricane Katrina storm surge near New Orleans, estimated to be 5.5 - 6 m high
Coastal Louisiana
Coastal Louisiana
March 5, 2001pre-diversion
March 21, 2001during diversion
Coastal Louisiana
River diversions may be one of the answers to wetland loss in Louisiana
Gulf of Mexico BP oil spill
of 20 April 2010
Coastal Louisiana
Restoring water quality in watersheds to prevent downstream impacts
Gulf of MexicoHypoxia
Major nitrate sources in MOM
Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri River Basin
General extent of hypoxia in Gulf of MexicoMississippi River Basin boundary
Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) Basin Restoration
The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia in 2008= 20,700 km2
(8,000 mi2)
Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) Basin Restoration
Better Fertilizer Management
Created/Restored Wetlands Restored RiparianBottomlands
Mitsch et al. 2001
Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) Basin Restoration
2 million hectares of these ecosystems are needed
Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park
Columbus
OHIO
Goal is to create 28,000 ha of riparian systems and wetlands in one watershed in Ohio
Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) Basin Restoration
Restoring the Florida Everglades
Restoring the Florida Everglades
Restoring the Florida Everglades
Florida has installed thousands of hectares of wetlands to reduce the phosphorus inflow to the Everglades
Sequestering carbon
Wetland type g-C m-2 yr-1 Reference
General range for wetlands 20–140 Mitra et al. (2005)
Tropical wetland (9.5 m core from Indonesia)
56 (for 24,000 yrs)
94 (for last 500 yrs)
Page et al. (2004)
Boreal peatlands 15–26 Turunen et al. (2002)
Temperate peatlands 10–46 Turunen et al. (2002)
Created temperate marshes, OH (10-year average)
180–190 Anderson and Mitsch (2006)
Restored prairie pothole wetlands, North America
305 Euliss et al. (2006)
Reference prairie pothole wetlands 83 Euliss et al. (2006)
EARTH University tropical wetland 255 Bernal and Mitsch
Old Woman Creek Ohio, temperate wetland
143 Bernal and Mitsch
Carbon Sequestration in Wetlands
Source: Mitsch and Gosselink, 2007
Fluxes: Pg/yrPools: Pg (=1015 g)
Conclusions
• If ever there were a transdiscipline whose time has come, it is ecological engineering.
Source: Clugston, 2007
2025-20301800 1900 2000 2100 2200
Global energy use/year
EcologicalEngineeringdeveloped
EcologicalEngineering
needed
Conclusions
Conclusions
• Wetlands provide many ecosystem services
such as human protection in coastal areas,
water quality improvement in watersheds, and
carbon retention almost everywhere. Their
conservation, creation, and restoration should
be international priorities.
Conclusions
• City landscapes especially should include
wetland ecosystems for the many ecosystem
services that they provide including human
relaxation and ecological education.
Conclusions
• Wetland parks as part of urban developments,
can not only be maintained with a small carbon
cost but also as large carbon sinks.
Conclusions
• Engineers, scientists, and policy makers need to
recognize that Mother Nature (self-design) and
Father Time (it takes time) are the parents and
guardians of functional ecosystems.
Acknowledgements
O H I O