Concept of Ecosystem Services and Ecosystem Management

Abstract

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment defines ecosystem services as the benefits people obtain from ecosystems (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005). These include provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services. Provisioning services are the products people get from nature, such as food, fiber, and freshwater. Regulating services are the benefits people obtain from ecological processes, such as flood mitigation, climate regulation, and water purification. Cultural services are nonmaterial benefits like knowledge, recreation, and spiritual and aesthetic values. Supporting services are those necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services, such as production of biomass and oxygen, soil formation and retention, nutrient cycling, water cycling, and the provision of habitats for plants and animals. Biodiversity is not defined as a single service, but it underpins the generation of all ecosystem services and is a large component of many services (e.g., food, cultural services).