What Ecosystem Service Is Water Purification?

What ecosystem service is water purification? Water purification is

the ecosystem service with the highest aggregated value

, followed by nature-based recreation. Despite the crucial role of ecosystems for our economy and society, there is no established and regular measurement of ecosystem condition or of the number of services they supply.

Why is freshwater considered an economic service?

Freshwater ecosystems are vital for the existence of human lives as

they provide transport routes, hydropower, irrigation and drinking water and a wide range of other ecosystem services including recreation, landscape and biodiversity, contributing to human health and well-being

.

Why is freshwater an economic service?

In addition to the production of marketable goods, therefore,

freshwater ecosystems may provide functions such as nutrient re- cycling and renewal as well as conferring aesthetic and cultural benefits to humans

(Costanza et al. 1997).

What is an ecosystem service example?

Examples of ecosystem services include products such as

food and water, regulation of floods, soil erosion and disease outbreaks, and non-material benefits such as recreational and spiritual benefits in natural areas

.

What is the role of water in ecosystem?

The main function of water is to enhance the plant growth, provide a permanent dwelling for species that live within it, or provide a temporary home or breeding ground for multiple amphibians, insects and water-birthed organisms, and to provide the nutrients and minerals necessary to sustain physical life.

Nature works to filter and release water over time – for free! In this way, nature reduces the amount of artificial treatment needed to filter water and also contributes to prevention of flooding. In nature,

water is filtered through layers of soil, sand, rock, and other natural materials like leaves

.

Four different types of ecosystem services have been distinguished by the scientific body:

regulating services, provisioning services, cultural services and supporting services

.

Freshwater Ecosystems

Rivers, lakes, ponds and streams

are the most common freshwater sources. Reservoirs, wetlands and groundwater sources are also considered freshwater ecosystems.

Abstract. The freshwater ecosystems are generally classified into two major groups as,

lentic and lotic ecosystems

. The term Lentic ecosystems is given to standing water bodies or still water bodies. The LENTIC Ecosystems includes all standing water bodies like Lakes, ponds, swamps or bogs.

Answer: Water or Fresh Water is

renewable Natural Resource

.

Providing living spaces for plants or animals and maintaining a diversity of plants and animals

, are ‘supporting services’ and the basis of all ecosystems and their services. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries are influenced and influence all types of ecosystem services.

Marine ecosystems are aquatic environments with high levels of dissolved salt. These include the open ocean, the deep-sea ocean, and coastal marine ecosystems, each of which has different physical and biological characteristics.

Forests and grasslands provide a wide range of ecosystem services. In addition to providing

food, fuel and fiber

, forests clean the air, filter water supplies, control floods and erosion, sustain biodiversity and genetic resources, and provide opportunities for recreation, education, and cultural enrichment.

water resource,

any of the entire range of natural waters that occur on the Earth, regardless of their state (i.e., vapour, liquid, or solid) and that are of potential use to humans

.

There are several methods used in the water purification process, which include: (1) physical processes, such as filtration, sedimentation, or distillation; (2) biological processes, such as sand filters, active carbon; (3) chemical processes, such as flocculation, chlorination, the use of ultraviolet light.

• Fresh Water Ecosystem: Fresh water habitats can be divided into two categories: …
• Marine (Ocean) Ecosystem: …
• Grassland Ecosystem: …
• Forest Ecosystem: …
• Desert Ecosystem: …
• Cropland Ecosystem:

Direct valued uses include

water supply, transportation, recreation, and fishing

. Indirect valued uses include flood protection, nutrient recycling, genetic material, and wetlands. Existence services are river services that provide the needed habitat to allow current biological ecosystems and their species to thrive.

Pond and Lake Ecosystems

A pond or lake ecosystem includes biotic (living) plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions

. Pond and lake ecosystems are a prime example of lentic ecosystems.