Ecosystem service

An ecosystem service is a benefit people obtain from ecosystems, including material goods, environmental regulation, and cultural experiences.

Ecosystem: A community of organisms interacting with one another and with their physical environment. Ecosystem services arise from interactions among organisms and their surroundings.
Ecological function: A process or role performed by organisms or ecological systems. Functions such as pollination can produce benefits when people depend on them.
Ecosystem service valuation: The assessment of ecosystem contributions using monetary or nonmonetary measures. Valuation makes otherwise overlooked benefits more visible in decisions.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: A global assessment published in 2005 examining ecosystem change and its consequences for human well-being. It established a widely used classification of ecosystem services and documented their decline.
Provisioning services: Ecosystem contributions that supply material goods such as food, timber, and freshwater. These services provide products people can harvest or use directly.
Pollination: The transfer of pollen between flowers, enabling fertilization in flowering plants. Pollination supports crop production and wild plant reproduction.
Natural capital: The stock of natural resources and ecosystems that generates benefits for people. The concept treats ecosystems as assets that sustain flows of services.
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: An intergovernmental body that assesses knowledge about biodiversity and ecosystem services. Its assessments connect ecosystem contributions to policy and human well-being.
Regulating services: Ecosystem contributions that regulate environmental conditions, including climate, floods, and water quality. These services benefit people by moderating environmental processes.
Water purification: The removal or transformation of contaminants from water by physical, chemical, or biological processes. Wetlands and soils can improve water quality before it reaches people.

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