Systems Ecology 101Systems Ecology 101

Human Effects Human Effects on on

Spaceship EarthSpaceship Earth

By Joe Anderson, 2011/09/19

Life reduces the Life reduces the temperaturetemperature

A forest is cooler than a parking lot; we all know this.Life processes, such as multiple uses of the incoming exergy and evaporation do the trick.

The sun’s energy comes in with high exergy (potential for work, or temperature). The same amount of energy, with it’s exergy reduced, leaves the earth as Outgoing Longwave Radiation. Note the black continental outlines, and the darkness (low temperature) of the African and South American rain forests in this NASA satellite image.

http://holon.se/folke/kurs/Ecologicaldevelopment/Termodyn_en.shtml

Living systems support Life

Properties of the earth without life are estimated by interpolation between Venus and Mars.

The striking differences in atmospheric properties are due to life processes.

Net Primary Net Primary ProductivityProductivity

Also known as Net Photosynthetic Productivity, (NPP) is the total annual photosynthetic production of biomass from the sun, less the energy requirements of the plants and algae for their own needs. NPP is the energy stream that powers life.

Earth’s Total NPP ~= 225 x 109 metric tons/year

NPP appropriationNPP appropriation

In 1986, Vitousek et. al.In 1986, Vitousek et. al.11 estimated estimated we appropriate ~40% of terrestrial we appropriate ~40% of terrestrial NPP and ~26% of aquatic NPP.NPP and ~26% of aquatic NPP.

That’s SCARY! It means we are That’s SCARY! It means we are using and foregoing the NPP of over using and foregoing the NPP of over ¼ of the world’s available biomass ¼ of the world’s available biomass production.production.

1) HUMAN APPROPRIATION OF THE PRODUCTS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS by Peter Vitousek, et. al. (1986) http://dieoff.org/page83.htm

NPP appropriationNPP appropriation

But, how much of the total NPP is actually But, how much of the total NPP is actually accessible to human exploitation, and accessible to human exploitation, and how much more is available for how much more is available for population growth? population growth?

Extremely diffuse productivity areas such Extremely diffuse productivity areas such as the arctic, desert, high mountains, as the arctic, desert, high mountains, open oceans far from shore and biomass open oceans far from shore and biomass unusable for even goat fodder, can be unusable for even goat fodder, can be removed from the calculation. removed from the calculation.

NPP appropriationNPP appropriationAdjusted for accessibility per Sundquist,Adjusted for accessibility per Sundquist,1 1 available NPP is 144.7 Gt/yr.available NPP is 144.7 Gt/yr.

1) Mark Mortimer, Civilization’s Future, http://www.civilizationsfuture.com/ecosystem.html#HANPP1) Bruce Sundquist, Human Cooption of NPP, http://www.civilizationsfuture.com/bsundquist/gcia.html

Co-opted NPP is 139.3 Gt/yr, ~96% of Co-opted NPP is 139.3 Gt/yr, ~96% of available NPP!available NPP!

NPP appropriationNPP appropriationLet’s repeat that!Let’s repeat that!

Co-opted NPP is 139.3 Gt/yr, ~96% of Co-opted NPP is 139.3 Gt/yr, ~96% of available NPP!available NPP!

• There is virtually no growth room left for us There is virtually no growth room left for us at the bottom of our food chains.at the bottom of our food chains.

• There is little “left over” for wild animals. There is little “left over” for wild animals. We call it “habitat loss.” This alone explains We call it “habitat loss.” This alone explains the high rate of extinctions and. the high rate of extinctions and.

• We can at lower trophic levels, such as We can at lower trophic levels, such as meats for grains to increase our meats for grains to increase our “efficiency.”“efficiency.”

• All future increases of human populations All future increases of human populations will likely lead to lower food security and will likely lead to lower food security and standard of living.standard of living.

Symptoms of over-appropriated Symptoms of over-appropriated NPPNPP

Maintenance is deferred, resulting in deterioration of capital goods, especially Maintenance is deferred, resulting in deterioration of capital goods, especially long-lived infrastructure. long-lived infrastructure.

Resources are more often located in fewer, more remote, or more hostile Resources are more often located in fewer, more remote, or more hostile regions, increasing industrial and/or military costs. regions, increasing industrial and/or military costs.

Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI)Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI)11, which is GDP less costs of crime, pollution , which is GDP less costs of crime, pollution abatement and so on, is flat or declining. abatement and so on, is flat or declining.

Education, health care, or human shelter expenditures have been cut due to Education, health care, or human shelter expenditures have been cut due to immediate consumption, security, or debt service. immediate consumption, security, or debt service.

Health care and environmental goals are eroding. Health care and environmental goals are eroding. More people are buying what they can afford rather than what they want. More people are buying what they can afford rather than what they want. Respect for the government declines as it is increasingly used by the elites for Respect for the government declines as it is increasingly used by the elites for

their benefit. their benefit. Capital, resources, and labor are diverted to activities compensating for the loss Capital, resources, and labor are diverted to activities compensating for the loss

of services that were formerly provided without cost by nature (e.g. sewage of services that were formerly provided without cost by nature (e.g. sewage treatment, air and water purification, flood control, fertilization, pollination, or treatment, air and water purification, flood control, fertilization, pollination, or the preservation of species) the preservation of species) If you observe any of these symptoms, NPP is likely

over-appropriated.

1) http://www.rprogress.org/sustainability_indicators/genuine_progress_indicator.htm

Earth’s Ecosystems In Earth’s Ecosystems In TroubleTrouble

Dead Zones and Toxic Algae Dead Zones and Toxic Algae Blooms are increasingBlooms are increasing

Desertification is proceeding Desertification is proceeding Wild Fish, shellfish and Wild Fish, shellfish and

mammal populations are mammal populations are generally declininggenerally declining

Habitat and species losses are Habitat and species losses are endemicendemic

Pollution of land, air and water Pollution of land, air and water is more and more problematic is more and more problematic

Waste recycling systems are Waste recycling systems are over loadedover loaded

Human “progress” usually means changing Human “progress” usually means changing CYCLESCYCLES to to FLOWSFLOWS. . Resources are “wasted” faster and NPP Resources are “wasted” faster and NPP declines.declines.

Minerals

FOSSIL ENERGY

INDUSTRY

AGRICULTURE

WATERS, LAND AND AIR

PEOPLE

sourcesflows

sinks

MATERIALS & ENERGY FLOWFROM SOURCES TO SINKS

A v a i l a b l e s o l a r e x e r g y

Immature system• Low diversity• Annual plants• Parasitism• Nutrient leakage• Fast changes• Water export by drainage

Mature system• High diversity• Perennial plants• Mutualism• Nutrient cycling• Slow changes• Water export by evaporation

All these changes increase exergy consumption

Exergy, the “quality” of Exergy, the “quality” of EnergyEnergy

Humans tend to reduce ecosystems maturityand reduce exergy consumption

increases system maturity

Human activities generally reduce Human activities generally reduce system maturitysystem maturity

Logging

ForestPrairie

Farms

Construction& Mining

Human-caused ecosystems maturity reduction is another way of increasing global warming

Ecosystem Maturity Ecosystem Maturity DeclinesDeclines

With predictable issues:With predictable issues: Ecosystem simplification and Ecosystem simplification and

disruptiondisruption• Wild life habitat loss, extinctionsWild life habitat loss, extinctions• Increased global warmingIncreased global warming• Desertification Desertification

PollutionPollution

As Ecosystem Simplification As Ecosystem Simplification ProceedsProceeds

Truly wild animals Truly wild animals will further will further disappear. disappear.

•Cattle•Chickens •Coyotes•Pigeons•Wheat •Weeds•Fleas•Viruses•Drought•Hurricanes

•Meadow Larks•Elk•Egrets•Native wildflowers • Edible seafood•Monsoons

““Companion” species Companion” species will become more will become more predominant and the predominant and the weather more weather more uncomfortable.uncomfortable.

Ecosystem maturity Ecosystem maturity reduction, reduction,

Palmyra, Syria was once a city with gardens

Near al-Fasher, Sudan, few living things remain

the end game

Note the house in the right background

By continuing business as usual we are in fact silently, unknowingly, choosing to end the world as we know it.

The Middle East is already mostly desert, as is Northern Africa & SW United States.

Take another look at where we are today.

33% of land area is subject to desertificationhttp://soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/mapindex/

desert.html

70% of farm land is estimated as degraded

Land productivity is declining due to soil nutrient depletion, salinization, erosion & compaction

33% of land area is subject to desertification

http://soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/papers/land-degradation-overview.html

All due to human activities on our spaceship, earth.

The usual response is to be angry, or depressed and do nothing.

Our human culture is not only unsustainable, it is spectacularly so, and we are approaching the end game!Think about it.

What will you do?Anything?

We Can We Can IncreaseIncrease Ecosystem Ecosystem Maturity!Maturity!

Hopefully we can learn a lot, become teachers and recruiters, work with helpful organizations, and get politics going in the right direction

Increasing Ecosystem Maturity

Gaviotas village, founded in 1962 in the Eastern Llanos (plains) of war-torn Colombia, shows the benefits of ecosystem maturation.

In 1984, the 200 Gaviotans began to plant Caribbean pine trees on 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres). ~ 20 years later: •~6 million pine trees

planted• Rainfall up 10%• Soil went from the acidity of vinegar to near normal•~250 species of native rainforest plants are growing•Economic self sufficiency achieved from forest products.

Wangari Maathai of Kenya through her Green Belt Movement has inspired the widespread planting of trees.Since 1977:•30 million Green Belt trees are now living.•Kenya’s forest cover has declined from 2.9% to 2%

Sadly, the primary causes of deforestation have not been fixed.

Increasing Ecosystem Maturity:

Hedgerows add a diversity of beneficial plants, animals and insects and reduce wind erosion.Urban green roofs and gardens add maturity and can reduce energy consumption.

The Most Important Things:

•Preserve meaningful wild areas.•Restore what wildness we can.•Most important; fix the systematic causes of human ecosystem maturity reduction:

•Over population•High consumptive life styles•Laws and subsidies that encourage rampant development•Decision-making that doesn’t consider ecosystem costs.

The Most Important Things:

Personally, we can change our lives, join with others of like mind and work for the greatest good.

We can use our creativity to go far beyond the thoughts in this presentation

The Most Important Things:

Earth’s our only spaceship. What will YOU

do?

Anything?