Ecosystem Services
The natural environment provides a wide range of goods and services that support human health, well-being and prosperity. These are called ‘eco-system services' and they can range from the essentials for life - such as clean air, water, food and fuel - to things that improve our quality of life, such as recreation and beautiful landscapes. They also include natural processes, such as reducing the likelihood and/or impact of flooding or climate change, that we often take for granted - and, as we have seen with climate change, we damage these natural processes at our peril.
There are four broad categories for these services:
Provisioning services -
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the products obtained from ecosystems, including fresh water, food, fibre (such as: timber, cotton, wood fuel), genetic resources, biochemicals, natural medicines and pharmaceuticals
Regulating services -
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the benefits obtained from the regulation of natural processes, such as air quality, climate, water/flooding, erosion, water purification, disease and pest control, pollination, and buffering pollution
Cultural services -
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the non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation and aesthetic enjoyment
Supporting services -
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the services that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services, including soil formation, photosynthesis, primary production, nutrient cycling and water cycling
The above is taken from Defra's document Securing a healthy natural environment: An action plan for embedding an ecosystems approach. For more information please see Ecosystem Services - living within environmental limits website and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology post note on ecosystem services.
Valuing Ecosystem Services
Placing a cash value on these services is not easy, but one estimate of
their global value is US$33 trillion per annum, compared to a world GNP
of US$18 trillion.
For more information please see the Defra reports 'An introductory guide to valuing ecosystem services' and 'The economic, social and ecological value of ecosystem services: DEFRA key messages from eftec report'.