IMAGINE…

How much is our Earth worth?

CAN YOU PUT A PRICE TAG ON THE BIOSPHERE?

BASIC VOCABULARY Biosphere: All ecosystems added together

Ecosystem: a community of living organisms interacting with the non living components around them.

Pixshark.com

Ecosystem Services: The collection of benefits a society enjoys from a range of resources and processes supplied by nature.

Sustainability.water.ca.gov

ECOSYSTEM EXAMPLEian.umces.edu

TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

vrenihommes.com

WHAT CAN WE GET FROM THIS ECOSYSTEM? cometomyrainforest.weebly.com

PROVISIONING SERVICE EXAMPLE- MEDICINE

California Academy of Sciences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCH1Gre3Mg0

THE IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY

Definition: diversity among plant and animal species.

A world without diversity would be like walking into a grocery store with only two or three options for food…. boring!

It is biodiversity that gives us all of the food, materials, and resources that we have today.

COULD YOU IMAGINE?

California Academy of Sciences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCH1Gre3Mg0

www.cumbriacommoners.org.uk

BLIGHT IN POTATOES

evolution.berkeley.edu

BIODIVERSITY STATISTICS

• The future of food security may be to depend on more drought and salt tolerant varieties of plants. We need biodiversity to ensure that we have some of these varieties to work with during droughts.

• Out of 150 prescription drugs used in the US, 118 are based on natural resources= 74% on plants, 18% on fungi, 5% on bacteria, and 3% on snakes.

• Diverse food availability is what helped humans in Europe survive the mini ice age (1550-1850)

• Biodiversity gives the potential for new foods. Right now 82% of the plant species contribute to 90% of food plants.

REGULATING SERVICE EXAMPLE- SOIL

Which is better?

jerrydgreer.wordpress.com

www.bloomberg.com

HOW CAN WE PUT A PRICE ON THE BIOSPHERE?

Knowing the four types of services ecosystems provide, scientists can attempt to put a price on services and their relationships.

POLLINATION EXAMPLE• 70% of agricultural plants require a pollinator.

• 1/3 of human food is derived from plants pollinated by wild pollinators.

rs.resalliance.org

COMPARING PRICES

California Academy of Sciences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCH1Gre3Mg0

SHRIMP VS. MANGROVES

?California Academy of Sciences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCH1Gre3Mg0

• Natural gas is a good we use.

• What we need to determine is whether or not the value of natural gas outweighs the impacts it has on other ecosystem services.

NATURAL GAS EXAMPLE

www.publicnewsservice.org

• Generates a lot less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as well as other emissions.

• Provides jobs.

• Builds nation independence by harnessing our own fossil fuels.

• More supply can mean lower gas prices for consumers.

PROS- POSITIVE VALUE

• Potential to leak hazardous chemicals into drinking water.

• Heavy use of water that cannot be returned to the water cycle.

• Release of methane gas into the atmosphere.

• Removal of vegetation for fracking and storage sites.

• Increase noise, traffic, and population stress on local communities.

CONS- NEGATIVE VALUEwww.nature.com

WHICH IS BETTER?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jw9dPYVT_Y

WHAT ARE WE LEAVING FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS?

California Academy of Sciences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCH1Gre3Mg0