Importance of Wildlife for sustainable ecosystem

Contents

What is wildlife? What is ecosystem? What is sustainable ecosystem? Key ecological roles of Wildlife species Ecological functions are central to trophic level Ecosystem services for sustainable development and

wildlife importance Wildlife role in sustainable ecosystem Role of plants in ecosystem Role of animals in ecosystem Balancing act

WildlifeThe term wildlife has come to envelope all kinds of undomesticated life from microorganisms to vegetation and fungi as well.

Ecosystem

An ecosystem is an interaction between plants, animals, microorganisms, and

their environment.

What is a sustainable Ecosystem

Sustainable use of resources is made possible by ensuring that rates of production are not exceeded by rates of loss plus extraction.

Natural ecosystems are sustainable only when their native biodiversity and the functional basis of productivity are maintained.

Key ecological functions It is the set of ecological roles played

by its component organisms, including humans that influence ecosystem biodiversity, productivity, and sustainability.

To conserve and manage ecosystems means understanding their dynamics and processes, including the ecological functions of species.

Ecosystem service An ecosystem service is any

positive benefit that wildlife or ecosystems provides to people.

Major categories of ecosystem services: 

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA),  identified four major categories of ecosystem services: 

Provisioning services e.g. (drinking water, timber natural gas etc.)

Regulating services e.g. (Water purification, Erosion and flood control etc.)

Cultural services e.g. ((music, art, architecture, Recreation etc.)

Supporting services.

Forests help in maintaining the ecological balance

Provide habitat for biodiversity. Modify the local climate. They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They provide the soil with the necessary humus

content. They prevent soil erosion by binding the soil

with tree roots. They also check floods by holding rain water in

subsoil.

Erosion control & soil formation Plants and detritus intercept the force of rain and the greater surface area absorbs more water; plants, animals and microbes are involved in creating soils.

Underground water purification

Pure from the ground up; A subterranean ecosystem helps keep

groundwater pure by grazing on naturally accumulating carbon.

Excessive carbon – for example from irrigation with effluent – can upset the ecosystem balance.

Carbon storage; maintain the C-Cycle

The ocean, forests and their soils contain huge stores of carbon relative to the atmosphere.

This is maintained through various micro-organisms

Pest Management

Ecosystems have natural predators and diseases for organisms we call pests. When predators are maintained, ecosystems control pests.

How can we sustain our wildlife and ecosystem

Maintaining Biodiversity Prohibiting deforestation Allowing Legal hunting Have native plants that are food

sources for wildlife Greener" ways of dealing with pests

References Jones, C. G., Lawton J. H. and M. Shachak. 1996. Organisms as ecosystem

engineers. Pages in F. B. Samson and F. L. Knopf, editors. Ecosystem management: selected readings. Springer, New York, NY. 130-147

Wilson, E. O. 1987. The little things that run the world (the importance and conservation of invertebrates). Conservation Biology 1: 344-346.

Minteer, B. & Collins, Ecological ethics: Building a new tool kit for ecologists and biodiversity managers. Conservation Biology 19(20):1803-1812.

Bradshaw, C.J.A., Sodhi, N.S., Peh, K.S.-H. & Brook, B.W. 2007. Global evidence that deforestation amplifies flood risk and severity in the developing world. Global Change Biology, 13(11):2379–2395.Calder, I.R. 2000. Forests and hydrological services: reconciling public and science perceptions. Land Use and Water Resources Research, 2: 1–12.