As a spin-off on Wayne Tyson's comments, to me, "services" imply work done or products provided for an unrelated entity (in this case, humans). It can also imply that humans perceive themselves outside the realm of the ecosystem; not interrelated with the workings of the system. It conjures images that humans are "entitled" to the benefits from the world around them but are not in any way responsible in returning back to the system in a "sustainable" (another word I am beginning to shy away from its use) way.
It seems to me one of the first steps to implementing a paradigm shift in the human perception of the role they play in environment and specifically, as members of ecosystems, is to use vernacular that suggests we are intertwined and human actions directly impact their environment and ecosystem, not to mention the longevity that the system will have to provide quality "services". I struggle with understanding the human psyche enough to convince them that the "services" provided by their local water systems are limited and their actions with respect to the aquatic system directly impact the timeframe of that limitation. Humans should not have rights of entitlement when it comes to ecosystem "services". It seems to me, if people understand or "perceive" they are a "cog in the wheel", their behavior would be modified. Could it be as simple as paying close attention to the words used to communicate and the perceived ideas conjured by the use of particular words? Sidebar: I am a PhD candidate at Ohio State University working on the role of protozoa and their use as a bioassessment tool in headwater streams. I am also a NSF fellow working with secondary teachers in my research watershed developing/implementing watershed ecological curriculum from an inquiry, place-based perspective. DKHersha -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 1:56 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: Ecosystem and Environmental Services There's something troublesome to me about the terms, even though I recognize their utility and inevitability. There's just something disturbing about thinking about Mother Nature (aka the earth ecosystem and all its little ecosystems, as it were) "servicing" humans. As a practical matter, though, why not break the terms down into their constituent meanings and compare them? What does "ecosystem" mean, and what does "environment" mean? And what are "services," exactly? I find that this exercise, silly though it may seem at first glance, and even unnecessary, often gives me insights I never would have otherwise seen. Looking at the etymology can sometimes be particularly enlightening. "Definitions" have their uses; they also can be traps, not to mention semantic devices that can mislead. They tend to freeze the mind. WT At 02:38 PM 10/2/2007, Fabrice De Clerck wrote: >A quick question for the group - is there a distinction between >ecosystem services and environmental services, or are both terms >synonymous? > >Cheers, >Fabrice
