Fredrik Moberg

Ecological goods and services of coral reef ecosystems

This article identifies ecological goods and services of coral reef ecosystems, with special emphasis on how they are generated. Goods are divided into renewable resources and reef mining. Ecological services are classified into physical structure services, biotic services, biogeochemical services, information services, and social:cultural services. A review of economic valuation studies reveals that only a few of the goods and services of reefs have been captured. We synthesize current understanding of the relationships between ecological services and functional groups of species and biological communities of coral reefs in different regions of the world. The consequences of human impacts on coral reefs are also discussed, including loss of resilience, or buffer capacity. Such loss may impair the capacity for recovery of coral reefs and as a consequence the quality and quantity of their delivery of ecological goods and services. Conserving the capacity of reefs to generate essential services requires that they are managed as components of a larger seascape-landscape of which human activities are seen as integrated parts.

Coral reef disturbance and resilience in a human-dominated environment

Facing a human-dominated world, ecologists are now reconsidering the role of disturbance for coral reef ecosystem dynamics. Human activities alter the natural disturbance regimes of coral reefs by transforming pulse events into persistent disturbance or even chronic stress, by introducing new disturbance, or by suppressing or removing disturbance. Adding these alterations to natural disturbance regimes will probably result in unknown synergistic effects. Simultaneously, humans are altering the capacity of reefs to cope with disturbance (e.g. by habitat fragmentation and reduction of functional diversity), which further exacerbates the effects of altered disturbance regimes. A disturbance that previously triggered the renewal and development of reefs might, under such circumstances, become an obstacle to development. The implications of these changes for reef-associated human activities, such as fishing and tourism, can be substantial.

Reserves, Resilience and Dynamic Landscapes

Abstract In a world increasingly modified by human activities, the conservation of biodiversity is essential as insurance to maintain resilient ecosystems and ensure a sustainable flow of ecosystem goods and services to society. However, existing reserves and national parks are unlikely to incorporate the long-term and large-scale dynamics of ecosystems. Hence, conservation strategies have to actively incorporate the large areas of land that are managed for human use. For ecosystems to reorganize after large-scale natural and human-induced disturbances, spatial resilience in the form of ecological memory is a prerequisite. The ecological memory is composed of the species, interactions and structures that make ecosystem reorganization possible, and its components may be found within disturbed patches as well in the surrounding land-scape. Present static reserves should be complemented with dynamic reserves, such as ecological fallows and dynamic successional reserves, that are part of ecosystem management mimicking natural disturbance regimes at the landscape level.

Mobile Link Organisms and Ecosystem Functioning: Implications for Ecosystem Resilience and Management

AbstractCurrent natural resource management seldom takes the ecosystem functions performed by organisms that move between systems into consideration. Organisms that actively move in the landscape and connect habitats in space and time are here termed “mobile links.” They are essential components in the dynamics of ecosystem development and ecosystem resilience (that is, buffer capacity and opportunity for reorganization) that provide ecological memory (that is, sources for reorganization after disturbance). We investigated the effects of such mobile links on ecosystem functions in aquatic as well as terrestrial environments. We identify three main functional categories: resource, genetic, and process linkers and suggest that the diversity within functional groups of mobile links is a central component of ecosystem resilience. As the planet becomes increasingly dominated by humans, the magnitude, frequency, timing, spatial extent, rate, and quality of such organism-mediated linkages are being altered. We argue that global environmental change can lead to (a) the decline of essential links in functional groups providing pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control; (b) the linking of previously disconnected areas, for example, the spread of vector-borne diseases and invasive species; and (c) the potential for existing links to become carriers of toxic substances, such as persistent organic compounds. We conclude that knowledge of interspatial exchange via mobile links needs to be incorporated into management and policy-making decisions in order to maintain ecosystem resilience and hence secure the capacity of ecosystems to supply the goods and services essential to society.

Reconnecting to the Biosphere

Humanity has emerged as a major force in the operation of the biosphere, with a significant imprint on the Earth System, challenging social–ecological resilience. This new situation calls for a fundamental shift in perspectives, world views, and institutions. Human development and progress must be reconnected to the capacity of the biosphere and essential ecosystem services to be sustained. Governance challenges include a highly interconnected and faster world, cascading social–ecological interactions and planetary boundaries that create vulnerabilities but also opportunities for social–ecological change and transformation. Tipping points and thresholds highlight the importance of understanding and managing resilience. New modes of flexible governance are emerging. A central challenge is to reconnect these efforts to the changing preconditions for societal development as active stewards of the Earth System. We suggest that the Millennium Development Goals need to be reframed in such a planetary stewardship context combined with a call for a new social contract on global sustainability. The ongoing mind shift in human relations with Earth and its boundaries provides exciting opportunities for societal development in collaboration with the biosphere—a global sustainability agenda for humanity.

Ecosystem services of the tropical seascape : interactions, substitutions and restoration

The tropical coastal ‘‘seascape’’ often includes a patchwork of mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs that produces a variety of natural resources and ecosystem services. By looking into a limi ...

Why Ecologists Should Care about Financial Markets

Financial actors such as international banks and investors play an important role in the global economy. This role is shifting due to financial innovations, increased sustainability ambitions from large financial actors, and changes in international commodity markets. These changes are creating new global connections that potentially make financial markets, actors, and instruments important aspects of global environmental change. Despite this, the way financial markets and actors affect ecosystem change in different parts of the world has seldom been elaborated in the literature. We summarize these financial trends, explore how they connect to ecosystems and ecological change in both direct and indirect ways, and elaborate on crucial research gaps.

Global Sustainability a Human Prosperity : – contribution to the Post-2015 agenda and the development of Sustainable Development Goals

The development of a Post-2015 agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, provide a global window of opportunity to address both social needs and environmental challenges together. This discussion paper by the Stockholm Resilience Centre looks into the links between human wellbeing and the biosphere, and describes why and how these links should influence the formulation of the new SDGs. It explores what we can learn from the MDGs, and how existing international agreements can be reflected in the Post-2015 MDG process. The paper also seeks to contribute to the elaboration of targets, including process-oriented targets and scalable indicators suitable for a rapidly changing world.

Corals and phase shifts

We welcome the comments made by Scully and Ostrander, which highlight that phase shifts can occur in coral areas that are not under immediate anthropogenic influence, and that they might be a natural ingredient in the dynamics of modern coral reefs. To understand such changes, we do indeed need to address the influence of natural disturbance regimes on coral reef communities, and learn more about the complex interactions between corals and macroalgae. Unfortunately, there might only be few, if any, pristine coral reefs left on which to study phase-shifts and natural disturbance regimes [Refs 1xReefs since Columbus. Jackson, J.B.C. Coral Reefs. 1997; 16: 23–32CrossrefSee all References1,2xVarieties of science for coral reef management. Hatcher, B.G. Coral Reefs. 1999; 18: 305–306Crossref | Scopus (7)See all References2 and see Bryant, D. et al. (1998) Reefs at risk. A map-based indicator of potential threats to the worlds coral reefs: http://www.wri.org/wri/indictrs/reefrisk.htm]. A major point in our review3xCoral reef disturbance and resilience in a human-dominated environment. Nystrom, M et al. Trends Ecol. Evol. 2000; 15: 413–417Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (353)See all References3 was that these shifts seem to have become more frequent and less reversible because of human impacts and that humans might also alter the magnitude, frequency and duration of disturbance regimes.Many of the worlds coral reefs assumed to be pristine show signs of overfishing of highly valued predatory fishes4xCoral reef fishing and coral-algal phase shifts: implications for global reef status. McManus, J.W et al. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 2000; 57: 572–578Crossref | Scopus (54)See all References4 and might already have been overfished when intensive scientific investigations began1xReefs since Columbus. Jackson, J.B.C. Coral Reefs. 1997; 16: 23–32CrossrefSee all References1. In addition, reefs with no discernible human influences might suffer from indirect human influence at scales that reach far beyond the border of the individual reef, such as global warming, increased levels of carbon dioxide5xExecutive summary. Wilkinson, C.R. : 7–19See all References5 and dust6xAfrican dust and the demise of Caribbean coral reefs. Shinn, E.A et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2000; 27: 3029–3032CrossrefSee all References6. Subtle interactions of a number of factors7xRapid transition in the structure of a coral reef community: The effects of coral bleaching and physical disturbance. Ostrander, G.K et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2000; 97: 5297–5302Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (87)See all References7 can lead to a loss of ecosystem resilience that is difficult to detect until a reef shifts to another stability domain caused by a disturbance that could previously be absorbed8xMacroalgae, nutrients and phase shifts on coral reefs: scientific issues and management consequences for the Great Barrier Reef. McCook, L.J. Coral Reefs. 1999; 18: 357–367Crossref | Scopus (335)See all References8. Thus, what we experience as a fast transition (within months) from one state to another might be the result of a long-term gradual change over years, decades or even centuries.This raises some key questions for future research. How do we detect gradual loss of resilience and how can we qualitatively and quantitatively measure such loss, and incorporate this knowledge in the management of coral reefs? Our understanding of factors that might signal loss of resilience is, however, still in its infancy.In order to secure the ability of coral reefs to provide humans with ecological goods and services9xEcological goods and services of coral reef ecosystems. Moberg, F and Folke, C. Ecol. Econ. 1999; 29: 215–233Crossref | Scopus (430)See all References9, we must understand the properties that enable coral reef ecosystems to maintain their resilience in the face of an increasingly human-dominated world with altered disturbance regimes3xCoral reef disturbance and resilience in a human-dominated environment. Nystrom, M et al. Trends Ecol. Evol. 2000; 15: 413–417Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (353)See all References3.

Global Sustainability & Human Prosperity

The development of a Post-2015 agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, provide a global window of opportunity to address both social needs and environmental challenges together. This discussion paper by the Stockholm Resilience Centre looks into the links between human wellbeing and the biosphere, and describes why and how these links should influence the formulation of the new SDGs. It explores what we can learn from the MDGs, and how existing international agreements can be reflected in the Post-2015 MDG process. The paper also seeks to contribute to the elaboration of targets, including process-oriented targets and scalable indicators suitable for a rapidly changing world.