What are ecosystem services?

Ecosystem services refer to the myriad benefits that humans receive from natural ecosystems, encompassing a wide range of functions that support life and enhance human well-being. These services can include provisioning services like food and fresh water, regulating services such as climate regulation and flood control, cultural services that provide recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual experiences, and supporting services that facilitate processes necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling and soil formation.

Recognizing the integral role these services play in our survival and quality of life underscores why the answer specifically highlighting the benefits humans derive from natural ecosystems is the most accurate. This understanding helps inform resource management and conservation efforts aimed at sustaining these vital services for future generations.