Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 11.1 (continued)
Role of Natural Ecosystems in Mitigating and Adapting to Climate Change
Role in Climate Response
Strategies
Ecosystem
Examples and Notes
Adaptation :.Some.protected.areas.are.established.primarily.for.their.wider.ecosystem.services,.although.
there.is.still.much.to.be.learned.about.integrating.these.into.national.and.local.adaptation.strategies.
Adaptation
Role of Protected Areas
Examples and Notes
Disaster.mitigation
Protected,.well-managed.ecosystems.
including.forests.and.wetlands.can.
buffer.against.many.lood.and.tidal.
events,.landslides,.and.storms .
(Stolton.et.al..2008b).
Switzerland.manages.17%.of.forests.
to.prevent.rock.fall,.landslides,.and.
avalanches.(Brändli.and.Gerold.
2001);.services.estimated.at.US$2.
billion.and.$3.5.billion.per.year.
(ISDR.2004).
Safeguarding.water.
supply.
Some.natural.forests.(particularly.
tropical.montane.cloud.forests.and.
some.older.forests).increase.total.
water.low,.so.that.protecting.these.
forests.can.maintain.water.supplies.
(Hamilton.et.al..1994).
90%.of.Melbourne's.water.is.from.
forested.catchments..Almost.half.are.
protected.and.much.of.the.rest.is.
managed.for.water..Studies.show.that.
yield.from.forested.catchments.is.
related.to.forest.age.(Kuczera.1987).
Maintaining.water.
quality
Natural.forests.usually.provide.
higher.quality.water,.with.less.
sediment.and.pollutants.than.other.
sources.(Aylward.2000),.and.
wetlands.can.also.reduce.nutrient.
levels;.some.water.plants.
concentrate.toxic.materials,.thus.
purifying.the.water.in.which.they.
grow.(Jeng.and.Hong.2005).
Around.one-third.(33.out.of.105).of.
the.world's.largest.cities.obtain.a.
signiicant.proportion.of.their.
drinking.water.directly.from.
protected.areas,.including.Mumbai,.
Jakarta,.Soia,.Bogotá,.Dar.es.
Salaam,.and.Sydney.(Dudley.and.
Stolton.2003).
Supporting.isheries
Marine.and.freshwater.protected.
areas.provide.safe.havens.for.
breeding.to.rebuild.ish.populations.
following.over-ishing.or.coral.
bleaching.(Roberts.and.Hawkins.
2000).
A.review.of.112.studies.in.80.marine.
protected.areas.found.population.
densities.were.91%.higher,.biomass.
192%.higher,.and.average.organism.
size.and.diversity.20-30%.higher,.
usually.after.only.1-3.years.(Halpern.
2003).
Safeguarding.
agricultural.
diversity
Protecting.areas.can.be.a.way.to.
conserve.in.situ.populations.of.
important.crop.wild.relatives.
(Stolton.et.al..2008a),.needed.to.
help.crop.breeders.adapt.food.
species.to.changing.conditions.
In.1982,.Erebuni.State.Reserve.in.
Armenia.was.protected.for.its.wild.
wheat diversity.( Triticum .spp.)..
Species.include T. urartu, which.was.
discovered.in.the.area.in.1935,. T.
boeoticum ,. T. araraticum ,.and.
Aegilops .spp..(Damania.1996).
( continued )
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