University of Michigan's Environmental Science and Policy Department recently posted an article about their assessment of a three-year ecosystem analysis, the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, in which hundreds of scientists worldwide were called on "to develop a view of ecosystems through the lens of services those ecosystems provide to humanity."Not surprisingly, MSU reported that "the abilities of ecosystems to provide human well-being" are declining "in almost every case."
More interesting is the conclusion drawn from these findings -- the limits of "discipline-bound approaches that don’t fully describe the range of the Earth’s dynamic and complex biophysical and social systems." MSU scientists report the "biggest knowledge gap" is “really thinking seriously about the interaction between humans and ecosystems, back and forth. How are we changing ecosystems and how are ecosystems affecting us?”
Source: MSU via Treehugger
Nice picture! That space still provides humans with a fair amount of enjoyment - but the nearby quarry could put an end to that!
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