Ecosystems

Ecosystems

1. Resources

   • people and business use environment as a resource
     • Resource- benefit humans
   • Since Insustrial revolution, ecosystem supplies
     • Rainforests
       • Timber and raw materials
     • Wetlands dried and forests destroyed
       • land for farming
     • Mangroves and Coral reefs
       • Tourism

2. Millennium Ecosystem Assesment (MEA)

   • Scientific report regarding state of the environment
   • Took 5 years to be written and over 1,360 experts worked on it
   • Conclusion: world's resources created better Standard of living.
     • But economic success damaged enviroment
     • Resources provided:
       • Food
       • Clothing
       • Fresh water
       • Energy
   • Modern fishing- unsustainable
     • More fish caught than replenished
     • Species density is reducing in ocean

3. Sustainable Development

   • MEDCs and LEDCs reduce usage of natural resources
   • "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs"
   • How is development sustainable?
     • improves standard of living for people today
     • uses natural resources at a rate which can be renewed. e.g planting trees after using for timber
     • businesses take responsibilty of their impact on enviroment
       • Take responsiblity: clean oil spills, reduce pollution

4. Ecological footprint: number of plane Earth's needed to support levels of consumption