Ecosystem Services

How do humans disrupt ecosystem services

Human activities disrupt the ability of ecosystems to function, decreasing the value of ecosystem services they provide

This has ecological (natural) and economic (money-based) consequences

Provisioning Services

Goods/products directly provided to humans for sale/use by ecosystems

Goods/products that are made from natural resources that ecosystems provide

How humans disrupt provisioning services

Disrupted by overharvesting, water pollution, and clearing land for agriculture/urbanization

Regulating Services

Benefit provided by ecosystem processes that moderate natural conditions (like climate, air quality, biodiversity, soil quality)

EX: Filtration & purification of water by wetlands

How humans disrupt regulating services

Disrupt by deforestation, pollinator habitat loss, and filling in of wetlands

Supporting Services

Natural processes that sustain ecosystems, allowing them to support life and all of the other ecosystem services

How humans disrupt supporting services

Habitat loss due to deforestation, agriculture, urbanization

Cultural Services

Revenue from recreational activities (hunting/fishing licenses, park fees, tourism-related spending) & profits from scientific discoveries made in ecosystems (health/agriculture/educational knowledge)

Non-material benefits that humans derive from ecosystem

How humans disrupt cultural services

Disrupted by deforestation, pollution, urbanization