Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem Services are the benefits we derive from the processes and functions that take place within and between ecological systems. Our activities, and especially the way we influence the landscape, affect the provision of ecosystem services. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment found that ecosystem services have been, and continue to be degraded to such an extent that “the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted” (link: www.milleniumassessment.org).

Ecosystem Services make human life on Earth possible. In order to ensure sustainability for future generations we need to improve our knowledge of ecosystem services – how ecosystem structure and processes provide us with benefits, how and where we utilise them as well as how our actions affect them.

Natural Capital

The limited stocks of natural physical and biological resources on Earth, and the limited capacity of ecosystems to provide ecosystem services is our ‘Natural Capital’. This capital is in addition to human, manufactured and social capital.

In considering sustainable development the concept of Natural Capital is essential. It integrates the notion of limited potential for growth into economics and facilitates the inclusion of the value of Ecosystem Services in cost-benefit analyses.

Sustainable Development

Sustainability is an objective concept: planet earth can sustain a limited extent of human activity – therefore our actions are either sustainable or not and there is no sliding scale in between.

The word ‘sustainability’ has been hijacked by many a marketing strategist and it abounds in promo pieces and advertising. This is a pity as it dilutes it’s meaning and results in a general misunderstanding – it is too often that I read about sustainability where in fact is referred to climate-neutral. The effects of human activities on our climate are just one aspect of sustainability. The Stockholm Resilience Centre has identified eight other planetary boundaries besides climate change that are important in the maintenance of our environment’s ability to support human society (link: www.stockholmresilience.org/planetary-boundaries).

In order to achieve a sustainable society we need to improve our understanding of how we use our environment – where we utilise ecosystem services, how they interact and how our use of them will affect their availability.