CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY & DELIVERING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

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Declines in biodiversity, such as those taking place in Nepal and globally, are resulting in the reduction and degradation of ecosystem services. Birds, which are involved in many ecosystem functions, can be considered as important indicators of the general state of ecosystem health. The relationship between biodiversity—the variety and variability of living organisms—and ecosystem services is complex because biodiversity can contribute to delivering benefits to people in a number of ways, for example: ■ biodiversity plays a functional role in underpinning the delivery of many ecosystem services which in turn have value to people (e.g. in pollinating crops or disposing of waste) ■ biodiversity can be considered as an ecosystem service due to its contribution to ‘goods’ (such as wild species which are the source of natural medicines or improved crop strains) ■ biodiversity can also be considered as a ‘good’ as it has direct cultural (spiritual, aesthetic, recreational) and existence values (the benefits that people receive from knowing that a particular organism exists) (Jessie Eastland/Wikimedia.org) (David Thomas) (Jyotendra Jyu Thakuri) (B_cool/flickr.com) Declines in biodiversity can substantially alter the structure and functioning of whole ecosystems and therefore their ability to provide ecosystem services (see box). Such declines are taking place in Nepal and elsewhere at an accelerating rate. It is vital that appropriate policy and management decisions are taken to maintain biodiversity and ensure that it can continue to deliver benefits into the future (see figure). How biodiversity impacts ecosystems: some facts and trends ■ Biodiversity increases the stability of ecosystem functions through time ■ Biologically diverse ecosystems are more productive because they contain key species that have a large influence on productivity ■ Biodiversity loss reduces the efficiency by which ecosystems, e.g., produce biomass, decompose and recycle nutrients ■ As biodiversity loss increases, the impacts on ecosystem functions accelerate ■ Impacts of biodiversity loss on ecosystem processes and functions might be sufficiently large to rival the impacts of many other global drivers of environmental change SOURCE Cardinale et al. (2012) Biodiversity loss and its impact on humanity. Nature 486. Based on a review of >1,700 papers to summarise the balance of evidence linking biodiversity to the goods and services provided by ecosystems. The relationship between ecosystem services and the state of pressures upon, and responses for, biodiversity SOURCE Adapted from Sparks et al. (2010) Linked indicator sets for addressing biodiversity loss. Oryx 45(3): 411–419.
Birds are an important component of biodiversity. They are involved in many ecosystem functions through their role as scavengers (see box), pollinators and seed dispersers, and in pest control. In Nepal birds such as the Asian Openbill, Lesser Adjutant and Sarus Crane feed in agricultural fields and control many harmful insects and other invertebrates that would otherwise damage crops and reduce yields. Birds are also important as an ecosystem service ‘good’ in their own right in terms of the pleasure they give to millions of birdwatchers and nature lovers around the world, and are often the basis for lucrative eco-tourism ventures. Many people enjoy just having birds around them and their homes, such as Oriental Magpie Robin which occurs in the mid-hills and lowland villages and towns in Nepal. As well as being of value in themselves, birds can also be considered as important indicators of the more general state of ecosystem health. Knowledge of the state of a country’s birds can therefore give an indication of how well the country’s ecosystems are delivering benefits to people. Vultures: a special case Vultures fulfil an extremely important ecological role. As scavengers, they keep the environment free of carcasses and waste, restrict the spread of diseases such as anthrax and botulism, and help control numbers of pests, such as rats and dogs, by reducing the food available to them. They are of cultural value to some communities and have important eco-tourism value too. Vultures in South Asia have declined drastically (some species by up to 99%) in recent years predominantly as a result of widespread use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac in livestock. Vultures become exposed to the drug by feeding on large animal carcasses, particularly cattle, treated with the drug. Their decline not only risks extinction of the global population of several vulture species, but also has negative impacts for human well-being. Fewer vultures result in: White-rumped Vulture (Jyotendra Jyu Thakuri) Economic impacts ■ Burial/incineration results in loss of supply of dead cattle for tanning industry ■ Profitability for traditional professions (e.g. bone collecting) reduced ■ Carcass disposal costs ■ Fewer tourists attracted by viewing vultures Health impacts ■ Uneaten carcasses can be sources of a range of infectious diseases ■ An increase in other scavenger populations (e.g. feral dogs) may increase risk from disease exposure including rabies Social impacts ■ Cultural and religious values lost ■ Utility values to Parsee communities in India lost ■ Existence value diminished Environmental impacts ■ Pollution from rotting carcasses (air, soil, water) Nepal is renowned internationally for its rich diversity of bird species. A total of 871 species has been recorded in the country, over 8% of the world’s known birds in just 0.1% of its land mass. In 2010, a review of the status of Nepal’s birds showed that 149 species—nearly one in five—were considered threatened at the national level, an increase of over 10% compared with a similar assessment undertaken in 2004. Around 100 of these species were thought to be on the very edge of extinction (see figure and p.34 for information on determining the status of Nepal’s birds). The national Red List status for Nepal’s birds in 2004 and 2010 Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered SOURCE BCN and DNPWC (2011) The state of Nepal’s birds 2010. Kathmandu: Bird Conservation Nepal and Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
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Page 3 and 4: Nepal is rich in biodiversity and e
Page 6: These recommendations are put forwa
Page 9 and 10: Supporting Provisioning Maintenance
Page 11: Payments for Ecosystem Services Pay
Page 15 and 16: It has been estimated that Nepal st
Page 17 and 18: Spiny Babbler (Jyotendra Jyu Thakur
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Page 21 and 22: The most threatened IBAs in Nepal
Page 23 and 24: Overall, the changes predicted to o
Page 25 and 26: The Ministry of Local Development i
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Page 29 and 30: Nature-based tourism and outdoor re
Page 31 and 32: (Jyotendra Jyu Thakuri) Some facts
Page 33 and 34: (David Thomas) Some facts and figur
Page 35 and 36: Map shows important services delive
Page 37 and 38: Many methods exist for identifying,
Page 39 and 40: Clean water is an essential ecosyst

CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY & DELIVERING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

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