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Invasive buckthorn often outcompetes native trees and shrubs, forming dense thickets of low diversity. Consequently, the removal of invasive buckthorn from wild communities is a major goal of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Removing buckthorn increases the plant diversity, which in turn improves the quality of local drinking water by preventing soil erosion and runoff.

Direct economic benefits, like clean water, that humans derive from having healthy ecosystems are known as...

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Invasive buckthorn often outcompetes native trees and shrubs, forming dense thickets of low diversity. Consequently, the removal of invasive buckthorn from wild communities is a major goal of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Removing buckthorn increases the plant diversity, which in turn improves the quality of local drinking water by preventing soil erosion and runoff.

Direct economic benefits, like clean water, that humans derive from having healthy ecosystems are known as...

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Let's parse the scenario and identify what is being described. The passage talks about direct economic benefits that humans obtain from healthy ecosystems, such as clean water resulting from reduced erosion and runoff. This type of benefit is typically categorized within a particular ecological concept.

Option 1: ecosystem cascades. This term refers to the chain of effects that follow changes in a ecosystem, often describing how one species affects others in a food web or ecosystem structure. It does not itself name a direct economic benefit to humans, so this is not the best fit for the described concept.

Option 2: ecosystem cycles. This would relate to rhythms like the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, water cycle, etc. While these cycles support ecosystem function, the phrase does not denote the direct economic benefits humans gain from ecosystem services, so this option mislabels the concept.

Option 3: keystone services. The word 'keystone' is typically used to describe a species or process that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment. While keystone species can influence ecosystem services, 'keystone services' is not a standard term to describe direct human economic benefits. This makes the option conceptually inaccurate.

Option 4: ecosystem resilience. Resilience refers to an ecosystem's capacity to recover from disturbances. Although resilience supports long-term ecosystem health and services, it describes a property of ecosystems rather than the direct economic benefits to humans. This option does not name the economic benefit itself.

Option 5: ecosystem services. This is the established term for the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems, including provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. The example in the passage—improved water quality and reduced erosion—fits the regulating and provisioning aspects of ecosystem services, and the statement explicitly frames these as direct economic benefits to humans.

In summary, the description aligns with the defined concept of ecosystem services because it connects biodiversity health and ecosystem function to tangible human benefits, such as clean water and reduced runoff, which are classic examples of ecosystem services.

BIOL 1001 (001-013) Exam 4: Unit 4

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