3 Ecosystems give us natural resources like clean water and air that we cannot live without.
BENEFITS OF A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM What What are are Ecosystem Ecosystem Services Services Ecosystem Ecosystem services services are are benefits benefits that that people people receive receive from from natu natu Ecosystem services are benefits that people receive from natu Healthy ecosystems provide many benefits such as habitat <strong>for</strong> fish and wildlife, recreation opportunities that improve public health, flood protection, biodiversity, aesthetic and cultural value and more. These naturally occurring benefits derived from an ecosystem are called Ecosystem Services. Four Four categories categories of of ecosystem ecosystem services: services: Four categories of ecosystem services: There are four categories of Ecosystem Services: Provisioning services produce food, water, oxygen, buildin Provisioning Provisioning services. services These produce are goods food, provided water, by oxygen, buildin natural Provisioning fuel, clothing, systems such services medicine, as lumber produce etc. Everything and paper food, from water, in our trees, oxygen, economy buildin i fuel, clothing, medicine, etc. Everything in our economy berries, fuel, made mushrooms clothing, from natural medicine, and other capital edibles etc. such Everything <strong>for</strong>aged as minerals, from <strong>for</strong>ests, our liquids, economy gases made from natural capital such as minerals, liquids, gases i and medicine derived from plants and trees. Rivers supply fresh made living things. living water things. from <strong>for</strong> drinking natural and capital fish <strong>for</strong> such food. as Trees minerals, give us liquids, gases oxygen. living Ultimately, things. everything in our economy, from resins to raincoats, is made from natural capital. Regula0ng services create and maintain healthy Regula0ng services create and maintain healthy Regula0ng environmental services condions. create and Examples maintain are healthy gas, and climate environmental condions. Examples are gas, and climate Regulating services. A healthy ecosystem creates and maintains environmental stability, flood and healthy environmental condions. storm protecon, conditions. Examples For are water example, gas, quality, and climate soil stability, flood and storm protecon, water quality, soil healthy stability, erosion ecosystems control, flood help and and erosion control, and regulate storm disease disease protecon, climate, and pest and pest buffer water control. control. storm quality, These These soil surges, reduce soil erosion, and offer disease pest control. erosion contribute contribute control, to ecosystem to ecosystem and disease funcons funcons and pest and and control. economic economic These resilienc resilienc contribute to ecosystem funcons and economic resilienc In<strong>for</strong>mation services. From watersheds to parks to desert Suppor0ng services maintain condions <strong>for</strong> life including landscapes, Suppor0ng ecosystems services provide maintain humans condions with meaningful <strong>for</strong> life including interactions with nature. These services include spiritually Suppor0ng habitat, nutrient services cycling, maintain soil <strong>for</strong>maon, condions and <strong>for</strong> life pollinaon. habitat, nutrient cycling, soil <strong>for</strong>maon, and pollinaon. including significant species and natural areas, places <strong>for</strong> recreation/ tourism, habitat, These natural and nutrient processes opportunities cycling, <strong>for</strong> scientific soil vital. <strong>for</strong>maon, Provided research and and to pollinaon. us free of These natural processes are vital. Provided to us free of education These charge, about natural they nature. are processes oCen leC are out charge, they are oCen leC out vital. of economic of economic Provided to analysis. analysis. us free of charge, they are oCen leC out of economic analysis. Habitat services. Intact ecosystems provide refuge and nurseries to wild plants and animals. These habitat services Cultural contribute services to the provide healthy meaningful growth of populations human interacons Cultural services provide meaningful human interacons and the conservation of biological and genetic diversity. Cultural with ecosystems. services provide Cultural meaningful services include human spiritual, with ecosystems. Cultural services include spiritual, interacons At least twenty-three specific ecosystem services provide with recreaonal, ecosystems. scienfic, Cultural aesthec services and include educaonal spiritual, value. recreaonal, scienfic, aesthec and educaonal value. value to humans, which are shown on the following page. recreaonal, scienfic, aesthec and educaonal value. Portions of this project were produced with support from the Washington Department of Ecology gra Portions of this project were produced Nisqually with River support Council from Watershed the Washington Initiative Department Program. of Ecology gra 4 Portions of this project were produced Nisqually with River support Council from Watershed the Washington Initiative Department Program. of Ecology gra Portions of this project Nisqually were River produced Council with Watershed support from Initiative the Puget Program. Sound Partnership Portions of this project were produced with support from the Puget Sound Partnership ©2011 by <strong>Earth</strong> <strong>Economics</strong> Portions of this project were produced ©2011 by with <strong>Earth</strong> support <strong>Economics</strong> from the Puget Sound Partnership
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