Dr Isabelle Durance of Cardiff University will give this Physical Geography Seminar.

 

There is growing consensus that inappropriate valuation of the world’s ecosystem services has led to widespread errors in environmental management with associated social disbenefits. Freshwater ecosystems are a prime example: when managed appropriately, they provide major services such as fish production, water supply, nutrient transport, health benefits and recreation. However, these services have been compromised extensively because they are seldom recognised in catchment activities. Pressures on river ecosystem services will grow in future as land use intensifies, water demands increase and climate changes further.

 

Sustainable management of river ecosystem services depends on understanding the processes that underpin them. In particular, there is a need to quantify how services depend on river organisms and ecological functions. Through in situ experiments and longterm big data analysis, the NERC-DURESS project is seeking to assess quantitatively how river services such as fish production or water quality regulation depend on river organisms, and whether there are biodiversity thresholds under which a service cannot be delivered or is compromised.