ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND RESILIENCE
The preservation and enhancement of natural systems is a principal priority on Kiawah Island to both residents and key stakeholders who operate on the island . Recent impacts from severe storms and extreme flood events have sparked conversations in the region about the community ’ s resilience to these natural hazards and future impacts due to climate change and sea-level rise . This initiated the Town of Kiawah Island ’ s Environmental Committee to form the Flood Mitigation and Sea-level Rise Subcommittee , which later produced the Flood Mitigation and Sealevel Rise Adaptation Report in September 2018 . This report has catalyzed many important actions , discussions , and initiatives since its release by bringing salience to the topic of community resilience to natural hazards . A few of these actions include recruiting a resilience specialist for the community , increased investment in environmental monitoring efforts , implementation of major drainage infrastructure projects , the development of an island-wide Resilience Plan , and the development of a Marsh Management Plan , among others . This also catalyzed the Kiawah Conservancy ’ s decision to initiate efforts to investigate sustainable infrastructure practices which support natural habitat , of which major support was provided through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ’ s Emergency Coastal Resilience Fund of 2019 .
Critical to the success of these novel practices is understanding the ability of natural systems to provide services to the community . Equally important is being aware of the current state of these systems which determine the magnitude of provisioned services . The concepts of ecosystem services and resilience provide the foundation for determining the current status of the ecosystem and how future impacts may affect this status .
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
Ecosystems support human and wildlife communities through their provision of ecosystem services which help to sustain life ( Millennium Ecosystem Assessment [ MEA ], 2005 ). Benefits provided to human populations by ecosystems are termed “ ecosystem services ” and are derived , directly or indirectly , by the natural functions which occur within these ecosystems ( Costanza , 1997 ). The four types of ecosystem services are ( MEA , 2005 ; USGS , 2016 ):
›››› Provisioning Services or the provision of food , fresh water , fuel , fiber , and other goods
›››› Regulating Services such as climate , water , and disease regulation as well as pollination
›››› Supporting Services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling
›››› Cultural Services such as educational , aesthetic , and cultural heritage values as well as recreation and tourism
Through their provision of ecosystem services , natural habitats serve a significant , multifaceted role in supporting resilient communities . Stressors placed on our ecosystems by natural hazards and human interference impact the provision of these ecosystem services by reducing the abundance and health of organisms ( Cairns and Pratt , 1995 ; MEA , 2005 ; Kelble et al ., 2013 ; Barbier , 2013 ; Sandifer et al . 2017 ). These stressors cause a reduction in the resilience of those ecosystems , leading to negative impacts on human and wildlife communities . Over time , increased ecosystem pressures diminish the ability of an ecosystem to recover from human disturbance and natural disaster events .
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NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS MANUAL FOR KIAWAH ISLAND