What are ecosystem services?
Ecosystem services are the benefits that people receive from the natural world around them.
This includes everything from clean water and healthy food to spiritual connection and protection from natural disasters
It’s only in the past
20-30 years
that people have begun to measure the benefit we all receive from the ecosystems around us, putting numbers to these key services that nature provides
survival, health, culture, & economy
We may not often think about ecosystem services, yet, they are essential for our
There are three main categories of ecosystem services
Regulating services
These are the services that directly relate to the base functioning of our ecosystems, and, therefore, make all life possible. These include the benefits we receive from healthy, functioning ecosystems. For example: soil formation, photosynthesis, the water cycle, clean air and water, climate control (forests store carbon, etc.), pollination of plants, etc.
Provisioning Services
These are the products and things we use every day from the ecosystems around us. For example: food, fresh water, firewood and timber, medicinal plants.
Cultural services
These are intangible benefits from ecosystems as they support our spirit and well-being. For example: spiritual connection to the land, improved mental health, intellectual stimulation, recreation opportunities.
*Note, these are harder to monitor and value compared to regulating or provisioning services.
examples of ecosystem services in action
