RESOURCES FOR
Municipalities
Ecosystems Services: a benefit to wildlife and people
What are ecosystem services?
Ecosystem services are the natural benefits provided to humans by healthy ecosystems. Ecosystems support humans in local, regional, and global scales, from providing clean drinking water to regulating global climate through processes like carbon storage. Human-altered ecosystems can also provide ecosystem services, like agro-ecosystems which produce food and support pollinators and other wildlife.
Ecosystem services are split into four categories:
- Provisioning – natural resources and food production
- Regulating – maintenance of water, air quality, and other ecosystem factors
- Supporting – provision of livable spaces for wildlife and biodiversity
- Cultural – benefits to human mental and physical well-being
Why are ecosystem services important to communities?
Understanding and quantifying ecosystems and their services to local communities is important to prioritizing natural areas for conservation and appropriately valuing ecosystems. Maintaining ecosystem services can have a huge monetary benefit to municipalities by protecting existing infrastructure during extreme weather events (i.e. safeguarding communities from flooding) and reducing the need for infrastructure renewal. In places like Nova Scotia where climate change is leading to increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and the loss of species, we need nature-based solutions to protect and restore ecosystems and their functions.
Assessing and inventorying ecosystem services is a first step to managing natural assets. A lack of knowledge on ecosystem services and their value to humans means communities are unable to make informed decisions that lead to long-term economic returns and the highest quality of life. Ensuring municipalities can identify ecosystem services in their community can provide support to initiatives like protecting source water, restoring riparian buffers, protecting infrastructure, and providing recreational opportunities. As a society we depend on ecosystem services to provide the food we eat, the air we breath, and maintain the biodiversity we hope to see for generations to come.
How ecosystems benefit us
Click on the ecosystem service graphic below to learn more. Additional resources under each section will be listed as they become available, so check back often.
FRESHWATER STORAGE AND FILTRATION
FRESHWATER STORAGE AND FILTRATION
Drinking water is purified naturally by wetland plants and stored in lakes.
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY
Natural resource production such as ecological forestry is an important industry for communities in rural Nova Scotia.
FOOD PRODUCTION
FOOD PRODUCTION
Agro-ecosystems provide the food we eat, and support pollinators which feed insectivorous birds and bats.
UPSTREAM FLOOD PROTECTION
UPSTREAM FLOOD PROTECTION
Floods pose risk to public infrastructure and private property, and can move contaminants to sensitive habitats.
CLIMATE REGULATION
CLIMATE REGULATON
Several ecosystems contribute to global climate regulation by sequestering carbon from the air, storing it, and acting as a carbon sink.
WILDLIFE HABITAT
WILDLIFE HABITAT
Ecosystems provide the necessary habitat for wildlife to live.
COASTAL FLOOD PROTECTION
COASTAL FLOOD PROTECTION
Salt marshes protect coastal communities from sea-level rise and increasing flood-risk.
COASTAL EROSION CONTROL
COASTAL EROSION CONTROL
Living shorelines and coastal islands can help mitigate the impacts of erosion.
RECREATION AND TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES
RECREATION AND TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES
Ecosystems such as beaches provide citizens with the opportunity to enjoy natural landscapes and engage in outdoor activities.