Ecosystem Services: What are, types and examples

Ecosystem services (SE) can also be appointed as ecosystem or environmental services. The Definition of ecosystem services, ecosystem services or environmental services More used and accepted is the one proposed by the UN in the evaluation of the millennium ecosystems (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment) In 2005, being the Benefits that ecosystems provide to humans To be done in all your facets. These benefits can be received in the form of values ​​(cultural service), goods (provisioning service) or service (regulation service). In the next section, what are they are explained in more detail The 4 ecosystem services.

It is common not to appreciate the weight they have by living in urban and suburban nuclei, which align us when observing how ecosystems guarantee us existence. Conflicts arise due to the multiple benefits that the different social agents receive that make use of these se. See as an example the logging of a forest for the production of wood or cereal cultivation for agricultural entrepreneurs. This change affects small producers who used it to feed their cattle, obtain firewood, food or traditional medications.

The classification of the millennium evaluation of Environmental services o Ecosystema proposes to divide them into four classes: support, supply, regulation and cultural.

The Ecosystemic Support Service

It corresponds to those ecological processes that are vital for the production of the other three se.

• Water cycle
• Soil formation
• Primary production
• Photosynthesis
• Species habitat
• Conservation of genetic diversity
• Nutrient cycle

The ecosystem service of supply

It stands out for forming those products extracted from the environment to be consumed or used, being:

• Food
• Water (agriculture and consumption)
• Energy resources (firewood, peat, lignite …)
• Raw materials
• Minerals
• Genetic resources
• Medicinal resources

The Ecosystem of Regulation Service

They understand those ecological processes that benefit us through their regulation system, help mitigate some global and local impacts.

• Climate regulation
• Regulation in the water cycle
• Improvement of air quality
• Erosion control
• Reduction of damage to natural catastrophes
• Diseases and pest control
• Maintenance of soil fertility
• Regulation and sanitation of water.
• Pollination

The cultural ecosystem service

They are those non -material benefits that the human being obtains through ecosystems. They are more abstract concepts that make us.

• Educational value
• Cultural diversity
• Source of inspiration
• Spirituality and religious values
• Aesthetic value
• Social relations
• Roots or belonging
• Cultural Heritage
• Recreational and ecotourism services
• Scientific knowledge

Sometimes it is difficult to enclose a service in a single group, some may be several Types of Environmental Services at the same time. For example, fresh water can be cataloged in the four, support for the water cycle, consumption supply, regulation by purification and control of the water and cultural cycle for example for the recreational use it provides.

Some Examples of concrete ecosystem services are:

• The pollination It is one of the examples of the clearest environmental services of regulation. Much of the vegetable, fruits and seeds crops need to be pollinated by pollinating insects, such as bees, to transport pollen and favor fertilization.
• Another is regulation It is the pest control In agriculture. Ecosystems are self -regulated alone through the biodiversity of species and the interaction between them. The richer the ecosystem, the greater control it will exist among the species that compose it. Monocultures favor the appearance of pests as there is a large area of ​​only the same species, making it more vulnerable to the appearance of pests. It generates that the use of agrochemicals is more necessary, with its associated consequences on the environment.
• Thanks to the photosynthesisI know mediumvegetable biomass is produced that can be focused as a value, good or service. Either as food, raw material, energy resource, medicinal resource, aesthetic value, improvement of air quality, climate regulator being a carbon sink, among other environmental services.

Due to the action of the human being (direct or indirect) and the biological and geological processes, ecosystems undergo changes. The different social agents will face these changes differently for economic, cultural and socio-political reasons. Which implies that it does not impact equitably and homogeneously over all social agents. These differences can be found between countries and within the same country. The adaptive strategy should be sought so that all social agents are benefited.

They are indicators of the quality of the interaction we have with the environment. Decision making and environmental policies must be carried out based on them. This would facilitate obtaining tools to mitigate climate change through the identification of existing management options, prevent possible costs and risks for ecosystems and different societies and the optimization of social improvements. That is why the correct use of environmental services It provides large economic, social, political, religious and cultural benefits.

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