University of Chicago Press Why Birds Matter – Avian Ecological Function and Ecosystem Services

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Why Birds Matter Avian Ecological Function and Ecosystem Services By Çagan H. Sekercioglu, Daniel G. Wenny, Christopher J. Whelan The University of Chicago PressCopyright © 2016 The University of Chicago All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-226-38246-3 Contents Foreword by Jeffrey A. Gordon, Preface, CHAPTER 1. Bird Ecosystem Services: Economic Ornithology for the 21st Century Christopher J. Whelan, Çagan H. Sekercioglu, and Daniel G. Wenny, CHAPTER 2. Why Birds Matter Economically: Values, Markets, and Policies Matthew D. Johnson and Steven C. Hackett, CHAPTER 3. Trophic Interaction Networks and Ecosystem Services Christopher J. Whelan, Diana F. Tomback, Dave Kelly, and Matthew D. Johnson, CHAPTER 4. Pollination by Birds: A Functional Evaluation Sandra H. Anderson, Dave Kelly, Alastair W. Robertson, and Jenny J. Ladley, CHAPTER 5. Seed Dispersal by Fruit-Eating Birds Daniel G. Wenny, Çagan H. Sekercioglu, Norbert J. Cordeiro, Haldre S. Rogers, and Dave Kelly, CHAPTER 6. Dispersal of Plants by Waterbirds Andy J. Green, Merel Soons, Anne-Laure Brochet, and Erik Kleyheeg, CHAPTER 7. Seed Dispersal by Corvids: Birds That Build Forests Diana F. Tomback, CHAPTER 8. Ecosystem Services Provided by Avian Scavengers Travis L. DeVault, James C. Beasley, Zachary H. Olson, Marcos Moleón, Martina Carrete, Antoni Margalida, and José Antonio Sánchez-Zapata, CHAPTER 9. Nutrient Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling by Birds Motoko Fujita and Kayoko O. Kameda, CHAPTER 10. Avian Ecosystem Engineers: Birds That Excavate Cavities Chris Floyd and Kathy Martin, CHAPTER 11. Avian Ecological Functions and Ecosystem Services in the Tropics Çagan H. Sekercioglu and Evan R. Buechley, CHAPTER 12. Why Birds Matter: Bird Ecosystem Services That Promote Biodiversity and Support Human Well-Being Çagan H. Sekercioglu, Daniel G. Wenny, Christopher J. Whelan, and Chris Floyd, Contributors, Index, CHAPTER 1 Bird Ecosystem Services Economic Ornithology for the 21st Century Christopher J. Whelan, Çagan H. Sekercioglu, and Daniel G. Wenny The iconic photograph Earthrise, taken by astronaut William Anders as the US space mission Apollo 8 first orbited the moon, captured as never before the isolation of our blue planet in the vast blackness of space. The fragility, interconnectedness, and mutual dependencies of the myriad inhabitants of Spaceship Earth depicted in this stunning photograph propelled the environmental movement around the world. In this volume, we explore one of the lasting legacies of Earthrise and the environmental movement it helped spark. Ecosystem services are those aspects of the earth that benefit humans (Sekercioglu 2010). The history of ecosystem services has been explored in depth elsewhere (chapter 2; Daily 1997; Gómez-Baggethun et al. 2010). After the term was coined by Ehrlich and Mooney (1983), the number of scientific papers that address the subject increased slowly for a number of years, but soon exploded exponentially (fig. 1.2). Investigation of the ecosystem services provided by a variety of taxa is now well underway (fig. 1.3), though much work lies ahead. Here we provide an update on the state-of-the-art regarding ecosystem services provided by birds. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA 2003) brought the concept of ecosystem services to the forefront of policy debate throughout the world (Gómez-Baggethun et al. 2010). The major objectives of the MA were to evaluate the potential consequences of ecosystem change from a broad perspective of human well-being, with an emphasis on ecosystem services. The MA (2003) identified four classes of ecosystem services: "provisioning services such as food, water, timber, and fiber; regulating services that affect climate, floods, disease, wastes, and water quality; cultural services that provide recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual benefits; and supporting services such as soil formation, photosynthesis, and nutrient cycling." We will use t