Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biosphere - WBGU

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Impact loops in the biosphere-centred network of interrelations C 1.3 21 way for a migrating population; in fact conversion and the expansion of transport routes mutually amplify each other.The cleared – or, in the case of the conversion of wetlands, drained – land is frequently used directly for agriculture (expansion of agricultural land) in order to offer a livelihood to the growing population. This connection offers a second, important, motivation for conversion that takes places on land where harvesting wood alone is not worthwhile. The effects of conversion vary according to the region and natural conditions (soil, climate). Nevertheless, some interactions can be defined that can be repeatedly found. For example, the conversion of natural ecosystems is equivalent to leaving the soil free to weathering, which leads to erosion and the washing away of nutrients and humus. In mountainous regions in particular, soil degradation leads to the dereliction and karst development of large areas. In tropical regions land cleared of primary forest cannot be used for agricultural purposes for very long because of soil exhaustion (loss of fertility): at the climax of succession after just a few years there is infertile grassland that cannot be used and can only be recultivated at great expense. The cycle closes quickly because the falling yields force another expansion of arable land.The new clearance and subsequent cultivation in turn destroys semi-natural land. The conversion has the consequences on the biosphere described in Sections C 1.2 and E 2.2: biological diversity is lost in the interaction of fragmentation and damage to the ecosystem structure and function. Damage to ecosystem services When this development takes place on large areas or in especially sensitive regions there is a ‘lateral loop’ that speeds up the processes and exacerbates them. The large-scale conversion of forest also always changes the local hydrological regime. Forests perform especially important ecosystem services in this case (Sections D 2 and D 2.5-1): precipitation and direct run-off are slowed down, the forest stores considerable amounts of precipitation and only returns it gradually to the environment. As a result, a much larger proportion returns to the atmosphere through the evapotranspiration of plants and thus stimulates local precipitation activity. The water cycle is therefore short-circuited at a local level and the residence time of the water in the region is lengthened. As a result of the clearance of forests, especially mountain forests on slopes, these ecosystem services are endangered. The direct consequences are soil erosion as well as the leaching of nutrients and humus. This soil degradation thus amplifies the impact loop described above. Indirectly this loop is accelerated by changes in the local and regional climate: the reduction in precipitation may be a great additional burden for the remaining semi-natural ecosystems. In addition, there is another indirect consequence of the increased erosion. The washed out soil increases the sediment and nutrient loads in rivers and streams, which means that freshwater and coastal ecosystems can be overloaded with substances. But on the other hand, the equilibrium in rivers and streams is directly altered meaning that, for example, bank erosion or increased sedimentation in the river deltas may threaten semi-natural ecosystems (Section E 2.4). Introducing alien species Since the Middle Ages the greatly increased travel and trade activities have led to organisms increasingly overcoming biogeographical barriers.Although only a tiny fraction of the introduced species can establish themselves in the new habitat, those that do often have severe consequences for the native ecosystems (Section E 3.6). Throughout the world there are many examples of the damage to ecosystem structures and functions by alien species (Bright, 1998). Since new species can apparently establish themselves more easily in systems that have already been damaged, such trends often indirectly lead to an increase in species not native to the area.As competitors, parasites or predators of native flora and fauna, alien species can lead directly or indirectly to genetic and species loss, which is why this trend is seen as an important direct cause of the loss of biological diversity (Sandlund et al, 1996). Ecosystems of an insular nature that have undergone geographically isolated evolution and therefore often have a large number of endemic species are particularly affected by this. In addition to genetic and species loss, however, there may also be an increase in species diversity on a regional scale if the number of species destroyed is exceeded by the number of newcomers, such as is the case in Central Europe, for example (Section E 2.1). However, at a global level, introduction lead to species loss and to a homogenization of the species inventory that levels out ecosystem, regional and local special characteristics. The anthropogenic introduction of species also directly affects humans because the introduction of pathogens such as bacteria or viruses can lead to considerable risks to health (eg plague, AIDS or cholera).
22 C The biosphere-centred network of interrelations HYDROSPHERE ATMOSPHERE PEDOSPHERE Sea-level rise Changes in loads of particulate and dissolved matter Stratospheric ozone depletion Loss of fertility (organic matter, nutrients) Salinization, alkalization Changes in ice-caps and glaciers Changes in oceanic circulation Freshwater scarcity Changes in water quality (pathogens, nutrients, toxins) Changes in local water balance Changes in groundwater level Increasing local air pollution Enhanced greenhouse effect Tropospheric pollution Global and regional climate change Increasing trace gases Erosion, morphologial changes Surface sealing Compaction Overfertilization Acidification, contamination Increasing deposition and accumulation of waste POPULATION Rural exodus Urbanization Increasing damage to health Growing environmental awareness Increased mobility Growing interest in participation Sensitization to global problems Population growth International migration Urban sprawl PSYCHOSOCIAL SPHERE Demand for higher standards Women’s emancipation Growth of fundamentalist movements Spreading of western lifestyle and consumption patterns Increase of anthropogenic introductions of species Substance overload of natural ecosystems Widening international social and economic disparities Individualization Fragmentation of natural ecosystems Damage of ecosystem structure and function Mounting poverty Institutionalization of social services Loss of biospheric sinks Widening national social and economic disparities Decline of traditional social structures BIOSPHERE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION Reinforcement of biospheric sources Resistance formation Overexploitation of biological resources Conversion of natural ecosystems Genetic and Species loss Increasing regional conflicts Increasing significance of NGO’s Democratization Increasing international agreements and institutions Increasing environmental protection at national level Structural unemployment on the rise Increased food production Expansion of agriculturally used lands Intensification of agriculture Decline of traditional agriculture Expanding monetary sector Increased tourism Growing importance of national economic policy strategies Knowledge and technology transfer Progress in information technology Advances in environmental engineering Tertiarization Increase of environmentally sound economic processes Development of renewable energies and resources Increased consumption of energy and resources Enhanced labour productivity Enhanced resource productivity Increasing protectionism Expansion of traffic routes Intensification of education and capacity building Medical progress Globalization of markets Construction of technical megaprojects ECONOMY Enhanced capital intensity International indebtedness Industrialization Increasing world trade Growing traffic volume Mounting technological risks Automation, mechanization Progress in biotechnology and genetic engineering Development of new materials, material substitution SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY Impact loop ‘Destruction of natural ecosystems’: = amplifying effect = attenuating effect Impact loop ‘Damage to ecosystem services’: = amplifying effect = attenuating effect Impact loop ‘Introduction of alien species’: = amplifying effect = attenuating effect Figure C 1.3-2 Network of interrelations for ecosystems and landscapes. Source: WBGU
Page 1 and 2: World in Transition German Advisory
Page 3 and 4: Members of the German Advisory Coun
Page 5 and 6: German Advisory Council on Global C
Page 7 and 8: VI Dr Helmut Kraus (University of B
Page 9 and 10: VIII G 4 G 5 H H 1 H 2 H 3 H 4 H 5
Page 11 and 12: X D 1.3.1.3 D 1.3.1.4 D 1.3.1.5 D 1
Page 13 and 14: XII E 3.3.1.1 E 3.3.1.2 E 3.3.2 E 3
Page 15 and 16: XIV F 4.3 F 5 F 5.1 F 5.1.1 F 5.1.2
Page 17 and 18: XVI J I 2.4 I 2.5 I 2.5.1 I 2.5.2 I
Page 19 and 20: XVIII L K 2.4.12 K 2.4.13 K 2.4.14
Page 21 and 22: XX Box E 3.9-2 Box E 3.9-3 Box E 3.
Page 23 and 24: Figures Figure C 1.2-1 Figure C 1.3
Page 25 and 26: Acronyms ACFM AGDW AIA AIDS ATBI´s
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Page 30 and 31: Summary for Policymakers A 3 Overco
Page 32 and 33: Summary for Policymakers A 5 vation
Page 34: Introduction: Humanity reconstructs
Page 37 and 38: 10 B Introduction Box B-1 Biosphere
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Page 42 and 43: The biosphere-centred network of in
Page 44 and 45: Trends of global change in the bios
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72 D The use of genetic and species
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Natural and cultivated landscapes E
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From natural to cultivated landscap
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Development of landscapes under hum
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Development of the cultivated lands
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Amazonia: Revolution in a fragile e
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Amazonia: Revolution in a fragile e
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Introduction of the Nile perch into
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The Indonesian shallow sea E 2.4 10
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Perception and evaluation E 3.1 113
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Spatial and temporal separation of
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 125 E 3.
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 127 tion
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 129 Box
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 131 cons
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 133 Figu
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 135 from
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 137 Habi
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 139 1. O
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 141 vati
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 143 used
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 145 Tabl
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 153 Chan
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 155 rene
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 157 vati
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 159 comb
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Sustainable food production from aq
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Conserving natural and cultural her
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Introduction of alien species E 3.6
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Tourism as an instrument E 3.7 185
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The role of sustainable urban devel
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Integrating conservation and use at
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The biosphere in the Earth System F
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210 F The biosphere in the Earth Sy
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F 2 The global climate between fore
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F 3 The biosphere in global transit
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F 5 Critical elements of the biosph
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Biosphere-anthroposphere linkages:
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250 G Biosphere-anthroposphere link
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G2 The mechanism of the Overexploit
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G 3 Disposition of forest ecosystem
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G5 Political implications of the sy
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Valuing the biosphere: An ethical a
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276 H Valuing the biosphere: An eth
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H 5 Economic valuation of biosphere
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H 6 The ethics of conducting negoti
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A guard rail strategy for biosphere
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Third biological imperative: mainta
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Fourth biological imperative: prese
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Conclusion: an explicit guard rail
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Tasks and issues I 2.1 309 • Pres
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Tasks and issues I 2.1 311 basis of
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Approaches under international law
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Approaches under international law
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Approaches for positive regulations
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Approaches for positive regulations
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Motivational approaches I 2.4 321 t
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Motivational approaches I 2.4 323 c
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Environmental education and environ
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Focuses of implementation I 3.2 335
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The role of the Biodiversity Conven
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Agreements and arrangements under t
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Incentive instruments, funds and in
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Research strategy for the biosphere
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Preserving the integrity of bioregi
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Maintaining biopotential for the fu
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Preserving the global natural herit
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Preserving the regulatory functions
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Monitoring and remote sensing J 2.3
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Biological-ecological basic researc
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Socio-economic basic research J 3.2
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The foundations of a strategy for a
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Focal areas of implementation K 2 K
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Governments and government institut
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Governments and government institut
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International institutions K 2.4 38
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A worldwide system of protected are
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References L 397 Abramovitz, J N (1
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References L 399 Berlyne, E D (1974
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References L 401 Campfire Associati
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References L 403 Promoting the Cons
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References L 405 fied Organisms. UB
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References L 407 Gollin, M A (1993)
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References L 409 Herzog-Schröder,
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References L 411 Kaufmann, L S (199
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References L 413 Leader-Williams, N
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References L 415 Sustaining Society
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References L 417 of forest recreati
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References L 419 Pott, R (1993) Far
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References L 421 pp109-140. Scharpf
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References L 423 schutz und die Wid
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References L 425 des Naturschutzes
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References L 427 Wold, C (1998) ‘
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Glossary M
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432 M Glossary the ecosystems in a
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434 M Glossary terized by its high
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The German Advisory Council on Glob
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440 N The German Advisory Council o
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Index O 443 A Aalborg Charter 194-1
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Index O 445 Especially as Waterfowl
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Index O 447 habitats 52, 81, 154, 1
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Index O 449 phytotherapy; see also
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Index O 451 United Nations Conferen
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Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biosphere - WBGU

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