Nature provides: ‘provisioning services’ explained

Summary

The video by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust delves into 'provisioning services' - the vital products nature offers, like food, fiber, and water. These natural products are fundamental for human benefit, directly influencing agriculture and industries like forestry and water supply. With 70-75% of land being farmed, biodiversity plays a crucial role in food production. Experts like Matthew Woodcock and Aleister Leger emphasize sustainable practices in forestry and water supply, underscoring the essential connection between nature and sustainability. The overarching message is about preserving natural resources to ensure environmental and human well-being.

Highlights

• Nature provides food, fiber, and water essential for human survival and industry. 🌳
• 70-75% of land is farmed, making biodiversity key in food production. 🚜
• Forestry practices aim to use wood sustainably for building and energy. 🌲
• Water supply companies like Affinity Water rely on nature to provide clean water efficiently. 💧
• Sustainability in natural resources is crucial for the future of mankind. 🌏

Key Takeaways

• Nature's products, like food, fiber, and water, are vital for human survival and industrial activities. 🌿
• Biodiversity is integral in maintaining healthy food production systems. 🌾
• Sustainable practices in forestry and water supply reduce environmental impact and costs. 🌍
• Nature is the foundation of humanity's sustainability, providing essential resources. 🌱

Overview

Nature’s ‘provisioning services’ are the delightful gifts that keep on giving—think food, fiber, and water. These aren’t just fancy natural treats but essentials powering our lives and industries. Whether it's finding the perfect Timber for a cozy log cabin or slaking thirst with clean water, we owe it all to the generous lap of nature.

Farming giants take the spotlight with 70-75% of the landscape under cultivation. This thriving farmland is not just about sowing seeds but spinning a web of diverse biodiversity. Every crop from wheat to barely has a rhythm, ensuring soils stay spirited and crops flourish.

Peering into the future, it’s a ride with water maestros ensuring 900 million liters spill forth daily to sustain life. Meanwhile, forestry buffs are turning trees into treasures for furniture, construction, and even energy. Amidst this bustling life, the golden thread of sustainability weaves through, promising a harmonious coexistence with our dear Mother Earth.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Provisioning Services Provisioning services refer to the various products provided by nature that benefit humans. These include fiber for fabric, food, water for drinking, and timber. Approximately 70 to 75 percent of the landscape is utilized for farming, highlighting the critical role farmers play in producing essential food resources.
• 00:30 - 01:00: The Role of Biodiversity and Farming The chapter explores the integral role of biodiversity in agriculture. It presents the idea that the countryside acts as a farmer's factory floor, where every natural element contributes to farming activities. The chapter highlights various agricultural products such as wheat, oilseed, and barley, detailing their uses in bread, biscuits, animal feed, pharmaceuticals, cooking oil, and beer production.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Crop Variety and Soil Health The chapter titled 'Crop Variety and Soil Health' discusses the importance of growing a variety of crops such as peas and beans to maintain soil health. A long rotation of these crops helps ensure that both the soil and the crops remain healthy. The chapter features Matthew Woodcock, the forestry commission's partnership and expertise manager for Southeast England, who emphasizes the significance of fuel and fiber, specifically timber, as core products sourced from solid wood.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Fuel and Fiber from Timber The chapter discusses the sustainable use of timber not just for traditional purposes such as fence posts, building materials, and furniture, but also as a renewable energy source from the by-products and offcuts that can't be used for solid products. Aleister Leger, a catchment manager at Affinity Water, highlights the potential of using these timber offcuts as an alternative to fossil fuels, emphasizing a sustainable approach to energy production.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Water Supply and Importance of Nature The chapter discusses the importance of nature to the water supply business, focusing on a company that provides water to 3.5 million customers in Southeast England. The company supplies about 900 million liters of water daily. Nature plays a crucial role in maintaining the water supply system, as it helps keep the water clean from pollutants, thereby reducing the company's costs on cleaning chemicals and saving energy. Emphasizing the conservation of water usage, it highlights how less water consumption can lead to overall benefits to the network and nature.
• 02:30 - 03:00: The Future and Sustainability The chapter titled 'The Future and Sustainability' discusses the critical role of nature in sustaining humanity. It highlights how the environment benefits us by providing everything necessary for life, emphasizing nature's indispensable role in ensuring the sustainability of mankind.

Nature provides: ‘provisioning services’ explained Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 provisioning services are the products that nature brings us so things like fiber for making Fabrics our food water for drinking Timber so it's natural products that people benefit from 70 to 75 percent of our landscape is farmed and we need the food that the farmers produce but we also rely on the
• 00:30 - 01:00 biodiversity to produce that food to help us produce that food the countryside is the farmer's Factory floor every element of nature goes into the production of crops the raising of livestock we will grow wheat for bread making for biscuit making and for animal feed we will grow oil seed which is then used for pharmaceutical products vegetable oil for cooking then we will grow barley for beer or malt product and finally we
• 01:00 - 01:30 will be growing peas and beans the reason we have such a variety of crops is to produce a long rotation so that the soil remains in good health and the crops that grow remain healthy my name is Matthew Woodcock I'm the forestry commission's partnership and expertise manager for Southeast England Fuel and fiber they're the sort of core products from solid wood fiber is really what we would refer to as Timber so solid lumps of wood which
• 01:30 - 02:00 we use as fence posters Building Material furniture fuel is more the material that you can't use for a solid product and when you try and convert a round tree into a square product you have lots of offcuts if you can use those for energy in a sustainable way that's a fantastic alternative to fossil fuels I'm Aleister Leger I am a catchment manager at Affinity water Affinity water
• 02:00 - 02:30 supply drinking water to three and a half million customers in the southeast of England we Supply about 900 million liters per day on average as a water supply company nature is absolutely vital to our business water is a life source for everybody so maintaining a good supply of water keeping that water clean from pollution will also reduce the costs that we have in chemicals to clean that water and the amount of energy we use to supply at Round our Network so the less water that everybody uses ultimately going to have
• 02:30 - 03:00 a benefit for the environment looking into the future nature sustains us nature provides everything that we need to live so nature is crucial for the sustainability of mankind