In addition to the concept of nature as infrastructure, a new report from the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ highlights the importance of protecting natural assets and infrastructure in land management [ad5714d5]. The report emphasizes that our communities and economies are at risk if we do not safeguard our natural assets, such as soil, indigenous forests, wetlands, flood plains, and dunes. These ecosystems are foundational natural infrastructure that underpins our economy, protects against disasters, and supports public health.
The report brings together recently updated Stats NZ indicator data and research literature to demonstrate how land use affects ecosystems, biodiversity, economies, homes, resilience to disasters, cultural identity, and public health. It emphasizes the pressures on soil, including soil erosion, pests, diseases, climate change, and extreme weather events. Loss of highly productive land to urban expansion and the decline of urban green spaces are identified as threats to the primary food sector and overall well-being.
Accounting for the full range of benefits that nature provides will help develop enduring solutions for land management. This report underscores the need for a holistic approach that considers the value of natural assets and infrastructure in sustaining our communities and economies [ad5714d5].
A study conducted by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has found that invertebrates, particularly termites, play a significant role in forest litter decomposition in tropical and subtropical regions [76ec94c7]. The study, which included 476 experiments from 93 sites across the globe, showed that invertebrates contribute 31% to global forest litter decomposition. The contribution of soil invertebrates in tropical and subtropical forests was 1.4 times higher than that in temperate and boreal forests. These findings highlight the crucial role of invertebrates, such as termites, in maintaining ecosystem health and functioning.
The study emphasizes the importance of integrating invertebrate functions into earth system models and the need for conservation strategies to protect invertebrate populations and promote sustainable forest management practices. By recognizing the significant contribution of invertebrates to forest litter decomposition, researchers and land managers can develop more effective strategies for ecosystem preservation and sustainable land management [76ec94c7].