Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity
We believe in the power of plants. They create vibrant ecosystems. Ecosystems grow life.
We know the building blocks for the creation of ecosystems services that are designed to last for decades and that will nourish and grow life around them.
These services include everything from providing habitat for plants and animals to regulating the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and soil we love to dig our hands into.
Provision of habitat
Ecosystems provide living spaces for plants and animals, which in turn maintain a diversity of complex processes that underpin the other ecosystem services. Some habitats have an exceptionally high number of species, making them more genetically diverse than others.
These "biodiversity hotspots" are essential for maintaining genetic diversity, which is the variety of genes between, and within, species populations. This genetic diversity provides the basis for locally well-adapted cultivars and a gene pool for developing resilience.
Regulating services
Regulating services include maintaining the quality of water, air and soil. They also provide for flood and disease control, or pollinating crops. These services are often invisible and taken for granted, but when they are damaged, the resulting losses can be substantial and difficult to restore.
Ecosystems and living organisms create buffers against natural disasters, such as floods, storms, tsunamis, avalanches, landslides, and droughts. This moderation of extreme events is another critical ecosystem service that is often overlooked but plays a vital role in protecting our communities and livelihoods.
Water, air and soil
Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries are all influenced by, and influence ecosystem services. For example, ecosystems influence the local climate and air quality, with trees providing shade and forests influencing rainfall and water availability both locally and regionally. Trees and other plants also play an important role in regulating air quality by removing pollutants from the atmosphere.
Ecosystems also regulate the global climate by storing greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. As trees and plants grow, they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and effectively lock it away in their tissues. This process, known as carbon sequestration and storage, is an essential ecosystem service that helps to mitigate climate change.
At Kauri Park, we understand the importance of these ecosystem services and work to promote them in all of our projects. By creating self-sustaining ecosystems that support a wide range of life, we contribute to water quality, a home for native birds, insects and animals, air quality, and most importantly, soil restoration. We believe that by working with nature and harnessing its power and resilience, we can create a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.