What are ecosystem services?

What are ecosystem services?

• A. The rate of erosion.
• B. Benefits humans receive from ecosystems, including provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services.
• C. The amount of sunlight a forest receives.
• D. The number of species in an ecosystem.

Answer: (B)

Ecosystem services are the benefits humans receive from ecosystems. These include provisioning services like food, water, and medicines; regulating services such as climate regulation, flood control, and disease management; supporting services like pollination and nutrient cycling that keep ecosystems functioning; and cultural services including recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual value. This broader description best captures why ecosystems matter to people, beyond just the living organisms themselves. The other options describe a process (erosion rate), an abiotic factor (sunlight), or a biodiversity measure (number of species), none of which summarize the human benefits that ecosystems provide.

Ecosystem services are the benefits humans receive from ecosystems. These include provisioning services like food, water, and medicines; regulating services such as climate regulation, flood control, and disease management; supporting services like pollination and nutrient cycling that keep ecosystems functioning; and cultural services including recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual value. This broader description best captures why ecosystems matter to people, beyond just the living organisms themselves. The other options describe a process (erosion rate), an abiotic factor (sunlight), or a biodiversity measure (number of species), none of which summarize the human benefits that ecosystems provide.