An area containing living organisms interacting among themselves and with their physical & chemical environment.

Ecosystem services

The outcomes of ecosystem processes that are important to human life and wellbeing.

Benefits

The material and non-material ways in which ecosystem services contribute to human life and well-being

Value

The measure of benefits provided to humans by ecosystems, which can be in monetary (₪), physical (-/+) or qualitative terms.

Regulating services

The outcomes of ecosystem processes that regulate conditions of the biotic and abiotic environment in ways that are crucial and beneficial to humans.

Provisioning services

The outcomes of ecosystem processes that provide products obtained by humans.

Cultural services

The outcomes of ecosystem processes that enrich the lives of humans in non-material ways.

Biodiversity

The variability among living organisms on earth including diversity within species, between species and between ecosystems.

Geodiversity

The variety of rocks, minerals, fossils, landforms, sediments and soils in a place.

Ecosystem Processes

The result of complex interactions between biotic (living organisms) and abiotic (chemical and physical) components of ecosystems through the universal driving forces of matter and energy (De Groot 2002).

Supporting ecosystem processes

Those ecosystem processes that directly underlie or are necessary for the provision of ecosystem services and their related benefits.

הפוסט Glossary of terms הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

Pollination: the movement of a pollen grain in space, from the male reproductive part of the flower in which it was produced, to the ovary in the female reproductive part of a flower of the same species, providing the foundation for reproduction in angiosperms (seed plants). Pollination services are provided mainly by bees (domesticated or wild), but also by butterflies, moths, other arthropods, birds and mammals.

Pollination by numbers

• 35% of the world’s vegetative food production depends on animal-mediated pollination, mainly by bees.
• 60% – 80% of wild plant species require animal-mediated pollination for reproduction (Zaban and Hakima-Koniak, 2011; Kremen et al. 2007).

Therefore, it is clear that pollination is essential for the continued existence of plant populations in open landscapes, as well as for reproduction and food production in agricultural landscapes. The importance of pollination by bees, of which there are 20,000 known species worldwide (approximately 1,000 species in Israel), from an ecological and economic point of view, is immeasurable.

Calculating the value of natural bee pollination

There are various ways to estimate this value for mankind, for example, by calculating the agricultural value based on the sums of money farmers pay to install commercial apiaries in their fields when sufficient natural pollination is not available.

Data show that the total value of pollination for agricultural production on a global scale is 112-200 million dollars per annum (In Israel: approximately 2.5 billion NIS).

The value of pollination for natural systems is even higher (but more difficult to estimate): a diverse array of other important ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, flood prevention, prevention of soil erosion and water purification, depend indirectly on pollination services which have a role in determining the amounts and types of vegetation comprising the soil cover.

An additional benefit of pollination is, of course, honey production. Research conducted in 2011 near the Ashkelon Regional Council (Zaban and Hakima-Koniak, 2011) found that the potential value of honey production in this region is 5 million NIS.

הפוסט pollination as an example of an important ecosystem service הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

In order to understand the term ecosystem services we will first define an ecosystem as: all of the plants, animals, microorganisms and environmental variables in a specific physical area. In other words: the biotic (living) and abiotic (inanimate) components of a given area, as well as the interactions and linkages between them. The components of an ecosystem exist within a complex web of interactions including energy flow and nutrient cycling. Examples of ecosystems include rainforests, woodlands, coral reefs, lakes, grasslands and deserts.

Ecosystem services, as defined in the Israel National Ecosystem Assessment (I-NEA) are the ecosystem processes and functions that are important for the existence and wellbeing of mankind.

A number of different types of ecosystem services are commonly defined:

• Provisioning services, which provide material products, such as water, building materials etc.
• Cultural services, such as landscape beauty, leisure and tourism, heritage, opportunities for education and research etc.
• Regulating services, such as climate regulation, flood prevention, erosion prevention, pollination etc.

The ecosystem services approach aims to estimate the benefit gained by mankind from our natural environment, as a way of expressing and quantifying the importance of healthy and functioning ecosystems and biodiversity in different ecosystems. To this end, a measurable value is applied to each of the services that ecosystems provide to mankind.

In recent years scientists, as well as decision makers who are active in open landscape management, have attached increasing importance to ecosystem services, due to heightened awareness of the dependence of social systems on ecosystems, and of the feedbacks between them. 

The Israel National Ecosystem Assessment 

At the end of 2012 the Board of Hamaarag decided to develop and conduct a National Ecosystem Assessment.

An “ecosystem assessment” is a project format that was first developed by an international and interdisciplinary group of scientists in the fields of natural and social sciences, under the name Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. The process summarized current knowledge on the state of, and trends within, ecosystems and the services they provide to mankind, on a global scale. Israel’s ecosystem  assessment process does not aim to produce new primary knowledge, but rather to collect and synthesize existing knowledge, and to present information relevant for decision-making, planning and policy formulation regarding a publicly significant issue: the importance of the services that Israeli society receives from open landscapes, and quantification of their value.

The decision of HaMaarag to carry out a national ecosystem assessment project, which is called “Ecosystems and Human Wellbeing – A National Assessment” in Hebrew, stems from the recognition that the continuing existence and prosperity of human society depends on functioning ecosystems and the services they provide us. HaMaarag is also well aware of the significance of efficient and effective communication between open landscape managers and decision makers and the wider community when describing the importance and value (ecological, economic and cultural) of open landscapes, so that these issues will be taken into account during decision making. The first critical step in knowledge-based communication in this field is assessing and presenting the state of, and trends in, Israel’s ecosystems and the services they provide.

Goals of the I-NEA

The objectives guiding the project are:

• To increase awareness of the multifaceted value of nature and our dependence on functioning ecosystems.
• To assist managers, decision- and policy-makers in incorporating the value of ecosystem services and the biodiversity on which their provision depends into planning processes, land management.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework presents the theoretical basis of the field of ecosystem services and their assessment in general, and the specific theoretical basis that was built for the Israeli project, including a schematic diagram. This chapter explains the rational for conducting the project, defines the central concepts, and describes important multidisciplinary aspects related to ecosystem services. 

The conceptual framework diagram summarizes the project’s rationale in one picture, presenting the connections between the ecosystem and the social system, wherein ecosystems services and their benefits are a link that connects between environment and society. Among other things, the conceptual framework chapter details the list of services and benefits provided to society by the ecosystems in Israel that are included in the project, and defines the supporting ecological processes taking place in each one that enable provision of the different types of services.

הפוסט The ‘Ecosystems and Human Well-being – a National Assessment’ Program הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

In recent years, the global understanding that ecosystems supply essential services and benefits to human existence, known as “ecosystem services”, has grown and deepened. In accordance with this approach, the existence and wellbeing of mankind is made possible thanks to the benefits provided by ecosystems. These benefits rely on the biodiversity existing in ecosystems and on the services that said systems provide. Benefits may include the provision of materials consumed by mankind, such as water, wood and food; regulating services, that is, the creation of the environmental conditions necessary for human existence, such as climate regulation, the prevention of erosion and floods, and the control of diseases and pests; and cultural services, such as tourism and sports, education and research, and enjoyment of spiritual experiences.

In Israel, adopting the ecosystem services approach has great potential in contributing to the protection of the biodiversity and open natural spaces, especially due to the country’s relatively small size, and the massive pressures for development. To this end, and following the initiative of Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, Hamaarag led a project known as “Ecosystems and Human Wellbeing – a National Assessment”, together with nature conservation bodies and many research institutes. This project aims to comprehensively analyze and evaluate the benefits of ecosystems and biodiversity both to mankind and specifically to Israel’s society. The project was led by Professor Uriel Safriel, Professor Eran Feitelson, Dr. Alon Lotan, Dr. Immanuel Cohen-Shacham and Shira Grossbard.

Shira Grossbard, the editor of reports summarizing the project’s findings, describes the ambitious working process: “In this project over 200 experts, professionals and surveyors, analyzed and evaluated the latest scientific knowledge regarding the benefits that ecosystems and biodiversity provide to the residents of Israel. The country was divided into six ecosystems, and the main services provided by each system were defined. We identified the benefits of each service, the extent of their influence and their contribution to health, finance and to society as whole, and asked which sector in Israeli society benefits most from each service. In addition, we analyzed the trends in recent decades and identified the causes of any changes, examined the response of both Israel’s society and government to changes in the provision of services, and in conclusion, presented insights and recommendations regarding the implementation of this approach in Israel.”

The project’s Overview Report presents its key findings: most ecosystem services in Israel are irreplaceable, and Israel’s rich and unique biological diversity is crucial for their provision. The state of biodiversity in Israel is deteriorating due to human activities, such as changes in land-use, and the conversion of natural open spaces into built-up areas. These factors threaten the continuation of the provision of ecosystem services to the residents of Israel now and in generations to come.

“One of the goals of the project”, explained Professor Uriel Safriel, “was to present the full meaning and cost of development, at the expense of open spaces and biodiversity. The cost/benefit ratio of a construction project is not limited to the costs of materials and development, but depends also on the cost of the loss of those services provided by the biodiversity in the lost open space. Regulating services, for example, are almost unknown to the public and decision-makers, and in this project, we emphasize their importance to our very existence. Unfortunately, regulating ecosystem services in Israel are in a declining trend – whether crop pollination, regulation of diseases and pest regulation, natural disasters and extreme events, and regulating water quality – all these services are declining due to the deterioration of the state of biodiversity.”

The report provides an overview of the project and offers insights and recommendations to implement the approach at the legislative, planning and enforcement levels. The report raises several worrying insights: while some legislation does exist in Israel is aimed at protecting ecosystems, this does not adequately address the threats to such systems. However, there is potential for the preservation of ecosystem services in Israel by using environmental planning, since most of the land is owned by the State. In summary, the report’s findings constitute an important knowledge-base and are a first-of-its-kind tool for managers and policy-makers to help embed the value of ecosystem services and the biodiversity involved in their provision in decision-making processes in the areas of planning, management and the interface with Israel’s open natural areas.

הפוסט The ‘Ecosystems and Human Well-being – a National Assessment’ Program הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

1. Conceptual framework

2. The ecological infrastructure: biodiversity and ecological processes

3. Mediterranean ecosystems

4. Desert ecosystems

5. Marine ecosystems

6. Inland aquatic ecosystems

7. Agricultural ecosystems

8. Urban ecosystems

9. Provisioning services

10. Regulating services

11. Cultural services

12. Services originating in ecosystems outside of Israel

13. Contributions to human existence and wellbeing: economics

14. Contributions to human existence and wellbeing: health

15. Drivers of change

16. Policy responses

    

Project chapters and lead authors

הפוסט Ecosystems and Human Well-being: detailed chapters הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

In this paper, we present a national-scale mapping of three ecosystem services, each of them implemented using different methods: 1) Genetic resources service, mapped using spatial observations of the Crop Wild Relatives species; 2) potential of pollination service, which is provided by wild bees, mapped using an expert-based habitat model related to land use and land cover; and 3) cultural service of recreation, mapped by analysing the distribution of geotagged digital photographs uploaded to social media resources. The derived maps visualise, for the first time in Israel, the spatially distributed values of the three ecosystem services. Supply hotspots with high values for all three services were identified, as well as spatial differences amongst the ecosystem services. These national-scale maps provide overlooked insights and can be very useful for strategic discussions of stakeholders and decision-makers but should be regarded with caution given existing knowledge gaps and possible inaccuracies due to data scarcity and low resolution.

הפוסט National scale mapping of ecosystem services in Israel – genetic resources, pollination and cultural services הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.