Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Identifying important ecosystem assets and processes
Most surface water-dependent ecological assets are readily identifiable: rivers,
wetlands, estuaries and floodplains. Identifying groundwater-dependent
ecological assets and understanding their water requirements is an area
of fairly recent development. Groundwater-dependent ecosystems include
rivers (in relation to baseflows arising from groundwater), in-aquifer and
cave ecosystems, groundwater-dependent wetlands, groundwater-dependent
terrestrial vegetation, estuarine and near-shore marine ecosystems.
A thorough benefits and services analysis can lead to identifying which
ecosystem assets and processes are most important in terms of supporting
benefits. For example, in Victoria, Australia, regional government authorities
charged with investing in improving the health of rivers undertook an
assessment of all the rivers in their area on a reach by reach basis to assess their
'social and economic value' (see, for example, West Gippsland Catchment
Management Authority 2005) including:
O
use for irrigation, towns or power generation
O
use for recreational fishing and boating
O
use for camping, swimming and other recreational activities
O
presence of a site that has cultural or heritage value.
Additionally, the reaches were assessed for 'environmental value' in relation
to a range of criteria including:
O
presence of threatened, endangered or vulnerable species as listed under
state regulations
O
state of vegetation and species as compared to reference levels
O
importance for native fish migration
O
inclusion of 'significant' wetland, either Ramsar-listed or identified in a
national, state or regional listing of important wetlands
O
'naturalness' or how close the river is to its untouched natural state
O
'rarity' in relation to kinds of habitats
O
water quality.
Sources of information included field assessments, surveys and government
databases. Parameters were scored (or rated) so that the value of river reaches
could be compared and higher value reaches identified.
As shown in this example, some services that support broader benefits
can be missed where immediate and local benefits only are identified (the
'social and economic values'). Ecosystem assets and processes also underpin
community benefits that apply at a national or global scale on a long-term
basis. The need to maintain our ecosystem as a whole to support such things
as the atmosphere, and the ability of future generations to enjoy a full
range of ecosystem services is manifested in global biodiversity conservation
