Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea ... - Naturvårdsverket

More documents

Recommendations

Info

SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Report 5873 • Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak Economic Marine Information Regulating ecosystem services R1: Climate and atmospheric regulation Definition Chemical composition of the atmosphere and ocean is maintained through a series of biogeochemical processes. The marine environment and its living organisms are involved in the regulation of oxygen, ozone and dimethyl sulphide, as well as in the exchange and regulation of carbon. In other words, the climate regulation taking place in the marine environment provides oxygen for breathing and slows down global warming. Extent of use and importance to society Oxygen provision From a global perspective, oceans are the largest producers of oxygen, larger than all land-based vegetation in the world. Through the process of photosynthesis, sea weed (multi-celled sea plants) and phytoplankton (single-celled sea plants) regulate the levels of oxygen in the air we breathe. Although smaller in size than e.g. algae, phytoplankton are present in enormous quantities and so produce most of the oxygen. Carbon sequestration Human activity causes a continuously increasing concentration of green house gas in the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from solar radiation and cause heating of the planet, including our seas. Among the green house gases, CO 2 is the most significant (80 %). Current CO 2 concentration have increased dramatically during the last two centuries (from 280 to 381 ppm) and are suggested to be the highest for at least 400 000 years (93). This as a result of the burning of fossil fuels (carbon from ancient sinks). According to the IPCC predictions, CO 2 concentration may reach approximately 1000 ppm within 100 years (94). Not all of the excess CO 2 emitted by human society stays in the atmosphere. The seas, and to some extent the land, act as carbon sinks that significantly slow the accumulation of atmospheric CO 2 , and consequently, the resulting climate change. Roughly half of all CO 2 released by humans is now stored in the oceans (95) and it is obvious that without these marine CO 2 sinks, the rate of global climate change would be truly catastrophic. In fact our seas store more than 10 times as much as carbon as all land-based carbon sources put together. Rates of CO 2 sequestration 67
SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Report 5873 • Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak Economic Marine Information depend on both atmospheric CO 2 levels and ocean circulation and mixing - in the same way that the sugar dissolving in iced tea depends on how much you put in and how fast you stir. More CO 2 in the air leads to more in the ocean; faster circulation increases the volume of water exposed to higher CO 2 levels in the air and thus increases uptake by the ocean. The concept of CO 2 sinks has become more widely known because of the Kyoto Protocol, which allows the use of CO 2 sinks as a form of carbon offsetting. Current uptake is approximated at 30 % of current emissions (96). Besides the buffering capacity of seawater, living organisms in the marine environment also play a significant role in climate control by acting as reserves or sinks for CO 2 in living tissue, and by facilitating the burial of carbon in sea bed sediments. The benefits of this regulatory function are global occurring in all marine environments. Naturally, it is enhanced in areas of substantial water mixing and high primary productivity. “If you mention “climate change” to people, it often conjures up images of heat waves, melting glaciers, hurricanes, droughts, and monsoon rains - certainly not changes in the ocean, its chemistry, and tiny plankton inhabitants. But we know that future climate change will largely depend on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and the sea - and how vulnerable they are to human perturbation. Understanding how carbon cycles through the Earth system is key to unravelling vital questions about our climate.” Source: Doney & Levine 2006 (97) Regulation of local climate It takes a long time to heat up sea water in spring. As long as the water is cold, air temperature along the coast remains cold. Once heated during summer, large water surfaces have a warming effect in autumn and winter and contribute to the heating of coastal air, while providing energy to storms and precipitation in coastal areas. Although not particularly pronounced in Sweden, maritime climate is associated with fresh summers and mild winters with frequent precipitation. However, once sea ice is present, the warming effect of the sea is lost and the temperature will quickly be reduced. Also, daytime sea breeze, appreciated by recreational sailors and sunbathers on a hot day, is blowing from the sea due to differences in heating between land and sea and contributes to clear weather on the coast. The local coastal climate is considered beneficial for human health. It benefits inhabitants of coastal regions, while increasing potential for tourism and recreational activity in the vicinity of the sea. Interactions with other ecosystem services Local climate typically affects species growth, survival and reproduction. Consequently, species distributions, and consequently ecosystem function, is related to 68
Page 1 and 2:
Effective July 1, 2011, this public
Page 3 and 4:
Orders Phone: + 46 (0)8-505 933 40
Page 5 and 6:
SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AG
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18: SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AG
Page 67: SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AG
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193:
Ecosystem services provided by the
show all

Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea ... - Naturvårdsverket

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?