Ecosystem Value Measurement Incorporating Biodiversity Is More Scientific: Taking Wild Beach Land and Grassland as Examples | Zhou Talks about Ecological Civilization (Lecture 262)
Recently, Dr. ZHOU Jinfeng, Secretary General of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), expressed opinions on why biodiversity should be included in the calculation of ecosystem value. Taking g waste beachland and grassland as examples, he talked about the importance and necessity of incorporating biodiversity into the calculation of ecosystem value:
Nowadays, a lot of work engaged in Gross Ecological Product (GEP), ecosystem value, and ecosystem contribution are being done around China. The work is of great significance for transitioning from the GDP era to the GEP era, and have made us pay more attention to and recognize the significant impact of ecology on our production and life.
However, we will also discover new problems in our work. For example, under the current ecological value calculation rules, a wild beach land has a relatively limited value. So, some local governments have made plans to plant trees and grass on the wild land. Because planting trees has the effect of sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen, the wasteland has a lot of ecological value that can be easily measured and presented. In this way, its ecological value appears to have been systematically and effectively improved.
But has its ecological value really improved? On the contrary, the truth is its ecological value has been greatly reduced. Why? Because although this wild beach land looks deserted, we call it wilderness, as a coastal wetland, many marine amphibians lay their eggs here, and many migratory birds take it as temporary habitat, a source of energy, and a breeding ground. Once trees or grass are planted here, the original ecological value of these wastelands is greatly altered or even lost, as their original biodiversity service functions are destroyed. Therefore, we suggest that the measurement of ecosystem value should incorporate biodiversity.
Some experts believe that current ecosystem value measurements can often be converted into monetary quantity, making it clear at a glance. However, the measurement of biodiversity is difficult to quantify, but this is not a reason to abandon biodiversity in the measurement of ecosystem value.
Firstly, we believe that biodiversity considerations are very necessary to be included. Secondly, we believe that the monetary quantity should not be the only consideration for ecological value. The calculation of ecological value without including biodiversity is incomplete, and biodiversity is a very important core content in ecological value.
Take another example, micro ecosystems such as wild grasslands are precious in cities. In a piece of wild grassland somewhere in Beijing, volunteers once observed dozens of endangered birds. Just because it is a wild grass land, it has a variety of naturally growing wild grasses and diverse grass seeds; because it is a wild grass land and no one has treated it with pesticides and insecticides, so it has a variety of small bugs and insects, making it a paradise for birds to visit.
But using traditional ecological value accounting theory, this place will become a forest wetland park with planned grass, trees, lakes, etc., the ecological value seems to have increased on a large scale. But in fact, the ecosystem formed by this natural wild land and the habitat of endangered species have been destroyed.
Our ecosystem value calculation can only fully play the role of protecting wild lands and grasslands by incorporating biodiversity into the measurement.
Original Chinese Article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/cTo_Qpa9LQ9dgvOx6ue8wA
Translator: Sara
Checked by: Daisy
Editor: Sara
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