Degradation
Theory
Habitat degradation & destruction
Loss/change of Biodiversity
(Soil-) Degradation
Desertification
Destruction
Degradation
Loss of Ecosystem Persistence
Ecosystem attributes
Reichle, O‘ Neill, Harris 1975
energybasis (green
plants)
nutrient cycling
energy reservoir
(sink/source)
Ecosystem attributes
Reichle, O‘ Neill, Harris 1975
energybasis (green
plants)
in the soil
nutrient cycling
engergy reservoir
(sink/source)
Soil degradation
Loss of Ecosystem Services of
the Soil
Ecosystem Services
Organisms interact
from these interactions
Ecosystem Services
result
Abiozön
Ökosystem
Beeinflussung des Ökosystems
ökosystemare Dienstleistungen
biotische Gebrauchsgüter
belebte Natur
Biozönose
durch Gesellschaft
abiotische Gebrauchsgüter
Wertsetzung
unbelebte Natur
Ecosystem Functions and Services
Hindmarch et al. 2006 (Biologist 53)
Millennium
Ecosystem
Assessment
MEA
Value of Ecosystem Services
Hindmarch et al. 2006 (Biologist 53)
Value of Ecosystem Services
Costanza et al. (1997)
According to the study, the earth provides a
minimum of $ 16 to $ 54 trillion (1012)
worth of "services" to humans per year.
Ecosystem Services of Soil
e.g.:
Soil fertility (food)
Biogenic soil stabilization (erosion)
Water retention capacity of soil (water)
Filter function of soil (water)
Carbon sequestration (climate)
.....
see also Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Soil degradation
Critias, 360 B.C., translated by Benjamin Jowett, 1871, shortened, sequence changed
Situation before 2500 ago in the Mediterranean
The mountains were high hills covered with soil, the plains were full
of rich earth, and there was abundance of wood in the mountains.
The country was inhabited by true husbandmen, who had a soil the
best in the world, and abundance of water, and in the heaven above
an excellently attempered climate.
The land reaped the benefit of the annual rainfall, treasuring it up in
the clay soil, providing everywhere abundant fountains and rivers.
Situation since 2500 ago in the Mediterranean
The mountains now only afford sustenance to bees.
The water is lost, flowing off the bare earth into the sea
There are remaining only the bones of the wasted body, as they may
be called ... all the richer and softer parts of the soil having fallen
away, and the mere skeleton of the land being left.
Soil degradation
UNEP: in the dry areas of the earth, which make 40 % of the land
surface, 70 % of the area is threatened by desertification;
this is the lifelihood of approx. 1 billion people.
Annual losses by soil erosion amount to 24 billion tons top-soil,
approx. 41.000 square-kilometres of agricultural land are lost
(which corresponds to the total area of Switzerland).
Economic damage in the range of tens of billions of $ (globally,
annually).
Conventions, Policies, Directives,
Scientific Research (indicators,
thresholds, strategies)
Responses
Human population growth, economic/ industrial development, climate change, war
Driving Forces
Direct:
Reduced ecosystem resilience,
reduced ecosystem services
land development, development of infrastructure (transport), tourism, agricultural
intensification and management practices
Impacts
Pressures
Emissions to air, water and
land (pollution), land consumption, soil compaction and
sealing, nutrient and water
mining, mining
Indirect:
Reduction of proliferation of use
values (crop yields, filtering
function of soil, etc.), interactions
between ecosystems
State
Large scale changes of landscape, land fragmentation, habitat loss, reduced
biodiversity and functionality, degraded soil (chemical contamination, eutrophication,
salinization), loss of soil