Ecosystem Services
by Lewis, 22 August, 2013, 1 comments
We are all dependent on ecosystem services even if we are not quite sure what they are. At the most basic of levels, early humans benefitted from the products of nature (fruits and seeds to eat, animals to hunt) - that is, food or provisioning . Shelter from the harsher aspects of climate and weather was also needed and provided; be it by the canopy of woodlands and forests, or the branches and other materials in woodlands used to make a simple shelter.
Ecosystem services permeate every aspect of our lives. Take soil, for example ‘Where would we be without fertile soil ?’ Obviously fertile soils provide us with the best conditions for our agricultural crops and for maximising growth in our greenhouses and orchards, but beyond that soil has many important functions. The organic material of the soil, humus, can absorb and retain water. It plays a vital role is the regulation of water run-off. Read more...
