Transcript Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem Services: a future tool to conserve
Singapore’s threatened mangroves?
Dan Friess, Dan Richards, Shermaine Wong, Jharyathri Thiagarajah, Val Phang
The Mangrove Lab
Department of Geography
National University of Singapore
[email protected]
www.themangrovelab.com
What are ecosystem services?
“The direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human wellbeing”
What are the issues?
- Mangroves are under threat now and in the future
- Mangroves are not properly valued
- Mangroves could be better incorporated into the planning process
What are the aims of this project?
1) Quantify the most important mangrove ecosystem services in Singapore
2) Estimate how ecosystem services will change in the future
3) Promote ecosystem services as a tool to communicate the importance of mangroves,
and to strengthen the role of mangroves in land use planning
(aka show why mangroves are AWESOME)
Service? Carbon storage
Why important? Mangroves take CO2 out of the atmosphere, reduce our national
carbon footprint and contribution to climate change
Chek Jawa
Primary
forest
Phang, Chou & Friess. in press. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Secondary
Ngo et al. (2013)
forest
Service? Carbon storage
= 1 652 096 tonnes of CO2-e
annual
emissions
of 347
810 cars
Why important? Mangroves take CO2=out
of the
atmosphere,
reduce
our national
= 185 900
304 gallons of gasoline
carbon footprint and contribution to climate
change
= annual energy use of 150 739 homes
= annual emissions of 621 089 Singaporeans
Service? Cultural value, spiritual value, aesthetic value, recreation
Why important? Bring money into the economy, green spaces for health and
relaxation, contributes to the “City in a Garden”
Service? Cultural value, spiritual value, aesthetic value, recreation
Why important? Bring money into the economy, green spaces for health and
relaxation, contributes to the “City in a Garden”
Take selfies, save
the environment!
Other ecosystem services we are
studying:
- Coastal protection
- Climate (urban heat island)
- Fisheries
- Do you have biodiversity data?
Other ideas? Join us!
Richards & Friess. 2015. Ecological Indicators 53, 187-195
Mangroves will be lost under the 2013 URA Land Use Plan/ 2014 URA Master Plan
Is there a balance between land development and mangrove ecosystem services?
NOTE: WE DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD SACRIFICE ANY MANGROVES!
• Singapore’s mangroves provide lot’s of important ecosystem services!
• Tradeoffs exist between ecosystem services and development, but
balances can be found
• Ecosystem services are a tool to communicate the importance of
mangroves to the public and decision makers
• Ecosystem services could be an umbrella with which to conserve
biodiversity
• Ecosystem services give ecosystems “a voice” in land planning
For more info, check out:
www.themangrovelab.com