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  • Glossary item | Last updated: 20 Jul 2023

Ecosystem services

The range of benefits provided to humans by healthy ecosystems. Services include provisioning (such as food and wood), regulating (for example climate, flood and water regulation) and cultural services (for example, spiritual, recreation, educational).

Source: EUROSTAT


Ecosystem services are the services that an ecosystem supplies and on which humans depend. Ecosystem services from which humans benefit are often categorised as follows:
- provisioning services such as food, water, wood, fibre and genetic resources;
- regulating services such as climate regulation, floods, disease and water quality;
- cultural services such as recreation and ecotourism;
- supporting services such as soil formation, pollination and nutrient cycling.

Source: EURO-Lex


Ecological or ecosystem processes or functions which have value to individuals or to society. 

Source: EEA Glossary