Ecosystem Services
Introduction
Ecosystem services are the many and varied benefits that humans freely gain from the natural environment and from properly-functioning ecosystems. Such ecosystems include, for example, agroecosystems, forest ecosystems, grassland ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems. Collectively, these benefits are becoming known as 'ecosystem services', and are often integral to the provisioning of clean drinking water, the decomposition of wastes, and the natural pollination of crops and other plants.
Classification of Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem services can be classified into four broad categories: provisioning, such as the production of food and water; regulating, such as the control of climate and disease; supporting, such as nutrient cycles and crop pollination; and cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits.
Provisioning Services
Provisioning services are the products obtained from ecosystems, including, notably, food, water, timber, fiber, and genetic resources. These services make direct contributions to human well-being and are tangible and often consumable.
Regulating Services
Regulating services are the benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes. These include air quality regulation, climate regulation, water regulation, erosion regulation, water purification and waste treatment, disease regulation, pest regulation, pollination and natural hazard regulation.
Supporting Services
Supporting services are those that allow for the other categories of services to be realized. They have indirect impacts on humans that last over a long period of time. Some examples include biomass production, production of atmospheric oxygen, soil formation and retention, nutrient cycling, water cycling, and provisioning of habitat.
Cultural Services
Cultural services are non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems. They include aesthetic inspiration, cultural heritage, outdoor recreation and spiritual experience, and increasingly, contributions to knowledge and education.
The Value of Ecosystem Services
The economic value of ecosystem services has been studied in the field of environmental economics. This field of study takes into account both the direct and indirect benefits that humans derive from ecosystems, and attempts to quantify these benefits to aid in the creation of effective environmental policy and sustainable resource management.
The Role of Biodiversity in Ecosystem Services
Biodiversity plays a crucial role in the way ecosystems function and in the services they provide. Variety within species, between species, and among ecosystems increases the potential for adaptation to new conditions or stresses, such as climate change.
Threats to Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem services are threatened by factors such as population growth, increased consumption as a result of economic growth, poor agricultural practices, urbanization, pollution, and climate change. These threats can lead to a decline in ecosystem services, which can result in significant costs to human well-being.
Conservation and Management of Ecosystem Services
Conservation and sustainable management of ecosystems can help to preserve ecosystem services. This includes the establishment of protected areas, restoration of degraded ecosystems, and the integration of consideration of ecosystem services into resource management decisions.