Without ecosystem services, life on Earth as we know it wouldn’t exist. There are four main categories of ecosystem services:

Provisioning services refer to the products secured by ecosystems. These include:

 

• Water

• Food (including cattle and seafood)

• Pharmaceuticals, biochemicals, and industrial products

• Energy (sunlight, hydropower, biomass)

Regulating services are the ecosystem services that allow the regulation of ecosystem processes such as:

• Climate regulation (and carbon absorption and storage via the oceans, trees, soil)

• Waste decomposition (one of the most essential microbial process happening in soil)

• Crop pollination (performed by agents such as bees that contribute to the reproduction of flowering plants)

• Water and air purification and regulation

• Control of pests and diseases

Supporting and habitat services refer to the ability of ecosystems to give habitat for migratory species and to support the viability of gene-pools.This is possible thanks to:

• Primary reproduction

• Nutrient and seed dispersal

Cultural services are the benefits ecosystem services bring to humans. Examples of these are:

• Inspiration for intellectual (creativity), cultural (entertainment) and spiritual (why) purposes

   – Remember how it feels good to seeing and hearing wild birds

   – Animals, plants and even the funghi kingdom serve as inspiration in theaters, movies…

   – Many people go to natural sites when they want to be alone or reflect about life

• Recreational experiences such as outdoors activities or ecotourism