Ecosystem Services Natural Inquirer

Ecosystem services are important because they provide goods and services that are vital to human health and quality of life. Ecosystem services are life-support systems for plants, animals, and humans worldwide. Some ecosystem services are called “public goods” because they are available to everyone (such as clean air). The process of waste decomposition and carbon storage are more examples of ecosystem services.

Scientists have studied ecosystems for a long time. The concept of ecosystem services, however, is relatively new. The identification of ecosystem services allows scientists to let people know that ecosystems are important to everyone. Some people value ecosystem services for the wildlife they support, while others may have greater appreciation for services such as food or energy production.

Everyone benefits from ecosystem services, and the prosperity of humans, past, present, and future, is dependent upon healthy ecosystems. Although it is difficult to put a price on clean air, for example, scientists have begun to look at the monetary value of ecosystem services. When the monetary value of ecosystem services is not known, the ecosystem may be destroyed in favor of something on which we can place a price. For example, when a forest is destroyed so a building can be built, the forest no longer provides the ecosystem service of holding carbon, providing homes for songbirds, or cleaning the air. By identifying and placing a value on ecosystem services, people are able to make better decisions.

In this edition of the Natural Inquirer, you will learn new and different things about ecosystem services. Then you can look around you and identify the services being provided to you and your community by the natural world!