Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem services and functions.

ECOSYSTEM
SERVICES ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS EXAMPLES

1 Gas regulation Regulation of atmospheric chemical composition. CO2/O2 balance, O3 for UVB protection, and SOx levels.

2 Climate regulation Regulation of global temperature, precipitation, and other biologically mediated climatic processes at global or local levels. Green-house gas regulation, DMS production affecting cloud formation.

3 Disturbance regulation Capacitance, damping, and integrity of ecosystem response to environmental fluctuations. Storm protection, flood control, drought recovery, and other aspects of habitat response to environmental variability mainly controlled by vegetation structure.

4 Water regulation Regulation of hydrological flows. Provisioning of water for agricultural (e.g., irrigation) or industrial (e.g., milling) processes or transportation.

5 Water supply Storage and retention of water. Provisioning of water by watersheds, reservoirs, and aquifers.

6 Erosion control
and sediment retention Retention of soil within an ecosystem. Prevention of loss of soil by win, runoff, or other removal processes, storage of silt in lakes and wetlands.

7 Soil formation Soil formation processes. Weathering of rock and the accumulation of organic material.

8 Nutrient cycling Storage, internal cycling, processing, and acquisition of nutrients. Nitrogen fixation, N,P, and other elemental or nutrient cycles.

9 Waste treatment Recovery of mobile nutrients and removal or breakdown of excess or xenic nutrients and
compounds. Waste treatment, pollution control, detoxification.

10 Pollination Movement of floral gametes. Provisioning of pollinators for the reproduction of plant populations.

11 Biological control Trophic-dynamic regulations of populations. Keystone predator control of prey species, reduction of herbivory by top predators.

12 Refugia Habitat for resident and transient populations. Nurseries, habitat for migratory species, regional habitats for locally harvested species or over wintering grounds.

13 Food production That portion of gross primary production extractable as raw food. Production of fish, game, crops, nuts, fruits by hunting, gathering, subsistence farming, or fishing.

14 Raw materials That portion of gross primary production
extractable as raw material. The production of lumber, fuel, or fodder.

15 Genetic resources Sources of unique biological materials and
products. Medicine, products for materials science, genes for resistance to plant pathogens and crop pests, ornamental species pets and horticultural varieties of plants)

16 Recreation Providing opportunities for recreational
activities. Eco- tourism, sport fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities.

17 Cultural Providing opportunities for non-
commercial uses. Aesthetic, artistic, educational, spiritual, and/or scientific values of ecosystems.

Back to Mini Proyect 1

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES	ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS	EXAMPLES
1 Gas regulation	Regulation of atmospheric chemical composition.	CO2/O2 balance, O3 for UVB protection, and SOx levels.
2 Climate regulation	Regulation of global temperature, precipitation, and other biologically mediated climatic processes at global or local levels.	Green-house gas regulation, DMS production affecting cloud formation.
3 Disturbance regulation	Capacitance, damping, and integrity of ecosystem response to environmental fluctuations.	Storm protection, flood control, drought recovery, and other aspects of habitat response to environmental variability mainly controlled by vegetation structure.
4 Water regulation	Regulation of hydrological flows.	Provisioning of water for agricultural (e.g., irrigation) or industrial (e.g., milling) processes or transportation.
5 Water supply	Storage and retention of water.	Provisioning of water by watersheds, reservoirs, and aquifers.
6 Erosion control and sediment retention	Retention of soil within an ecosystem.	Prevention of loss of soil by win, runoff, or other removal processes, storage of silt in lakes and wetlands.
7 Soil formation	Soil formation processes.	Weathering of rock and the accumulation of organic material.
8 Nutrient cycling	Storage, internal cycling, processing, and acquisition of nutrients.	Nitrogen fixation, N,P, and other elemental or nutrient cycles.
9 Waste treatment	Recovery of mobile nutrients and removal or breakdown of excess or xenic nutrients and compounds.	Waste treatment, pollution control, detoxification.
10 Pollination	Movement of floral gametes.	Provisioning of pollinators for the reproduction of plant populations.
11 Biological control	Trophic-dynamic regulations of populations.	Keystone predator control of prey species, reduction of herbivory by top predators.
12 Refugia	Habitat for resident and transient populations.	Nurseries, habitat for migratory species, regional habitats for locally harvested species or over wintering grounds.
13 Food production	That portion of gross primary production extractable as raw food.	Production of fish, game, crops, nuts, fruits by hunting, gathering, subsistence farming, or fishing.
14 Raw materials	That portion of gross primary production extractable as raw material.	The production of lumber, fuel, or fodder.
15 Genetic resources	Sources of unique biological materials and products.	Medicine, products for materials science, genes for resistance to plant pathogens and crop pests, ornamental species pets and horticultural varieties of plants)
16 Recreation	Providing opportunities for recreational activities.	Eco- tourism, sport fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities.
17 Cultural	Providing opportunities for non- commercial uses.	Aesthetic, artistic, educational, spiritual, and/or scientific values of ecosystems.