Ecosystem Services

Start with the foundations

Begin with the Ecosystems mind map. It introduces ecosystems as biological units with living communities and non-living environments. It also points to types of ecosystem services, including supporting, provisioning and regulating services. Use the map to get a sense of how the ideas on this page fit together.

Next, look at Ecosystem functioning and services. This mind map describes ecosystems as interrelated collections of living and non-living components. Compare its description with the ideas in Ecosystems, noting the terms that appear in both.

Explore services and values

Ocean Ecosystem Services offers examples including fisheries, flood control, nursery habitats and carbon storage. Use it to consider the different ways an ecosystem can provide services. You can then explore Ecosystem Services From Forests for another setting.

For a different perspective, read Conservation values. These notes discuss the benefits of conservation and the drawbacks of putting an economic value on nature. They provide another way to think about the value of ecosystems alongside the examples in the mind maps.

Practice with maps and flashcards

After studying a map, use the flashcards in Lecture 5: Changes in ecosystems to go over categories of services, resilience and value. Try explaining each term in your own words before checking the card. Return to the maps when you want to connect a term with an example.

There are no quizzes on this page, but the flashcards offer a way to practice recalling ideas. You can also use a mind map to organize the terms you want to study again.

Place the topic in its unit

Ecosystem Services is a section of Ecology and Ecosystems in Environmental science and ecology. As you study the resources, connect the examples of services back to the descriptions of ecosystems in the opening maps. Choose a resource and start exploring.