Ecosystem services:

"Ecosystem services" are those benefits that people obtain from ecosystems. These benefits can be of two types: direct and indirect. Direct benefits refer to those that support the provision of water and food, or the regulation of cycles such as floods, soil degradation, desiccation and salinization, pests and diseases. Indirect benefits relate to the functioning of ecosystem processes that generate direct services, such as the photosynthesis process and the formation and storage of organic matter; the nutrient cycling; soil creation and assimilation; and neutralization of toxic waste. Ecosystems also offer non-material benefits, such as aesthetic, spiritual and cultural values, or recreational opportunities. [1]

There are therefore four different types of ecosystem services, depending on the benefit they provide:

• Provisioning services are those referred to the quantity of goods or raw materials that an ecosystem provides, such as timber, water or food.


• Regulating services are those derived from key ecosystem functions, which help to reduce certain local and global impacts (e.g. climate and water cycle regulation, soil erosion control, pollination ... ).


• Cultural services are those that are related to leisure, recreation or more general aspects of culture.


• Support services, such as biodiversity and the natural ecosystem processes, which guarantee a large part of the above.

Provisioning services

Food supply capacity to transform organic matter into edible products.

Raw material provisioning capacity to transform organic matter into fibers and peat. It includes the provision of construction materials, firewood, biofuels and oils that come from both cultivated plants in agroecosystems and wild plants from forests;

Water supply capacity to accumulate accessible water for human, wildlife and domestic animal consumption

Regulation services

Water regulation: Natural systems influence the balance and regulation of water flows on the land surface as vegetation and physical properties of the soil allow water to be stored released slowly over time(Chen et al. 2010). Water regulation is based on precipitation that is intercepted and filtered in the soil, contributing to water flow as surface runoff. Water flows as surface runoff, other water infiltrates and is stored in the soil, remaining available for plants and the rest accumulates in groundwater. Therefore, water regulation and storage depends on the type of vegetation and the physical characteristics of the soil, which determine the regulation capacity. [3]

Climate regulation: role in determining the humidity and temperature of the local area in relation to the conditions of the vegetation cover. Trees provide shade that, when established in forests, influence rainfall and water availability, both locally and regionally. They also play an important role in regulating air quality by removing pollutants from the atmosphere.

Carbon trapping: Carbon content refers to the carbon stored in dry biomass taking into account the current structural conditions (Espinosa, 2005: 92). Plants capture carbon directly through photosynthesis that transforms CO2 into biomass and indirectly as organic carbon by the soil during decomposition processes. Forests, through photosynthesis, absorb 110 Gt C / year, while through respiration they emit 55 Gt C / year, and through decomposition, from 54 to 55 Gt C / year (Ordóñez, 1999: 72). Trees store carbon components in their woody structures for prolonged periods, which is why they are considered natural carbon reserves (Acosta et al., 2002). [6]

Moderation of the effects of extreme events: such as floods, storms, torrents can be buffered by ecosystems.

Soil formation: Vegetation cover prevents soil erosion and ensures soil fertility through natural biological processes such as nitrogen fixation. Soil erosion is a key factor in the process of land degradation, loss of soil fertility and desertification, and contributes to reduced fisheries productivity in the lower reaches of rivers. [7]

Nutrient retention: The retention of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural activities, especially from the fertilizers used, occurs thanks to the roots of vegetation (a process known as phytoremediation), sediments and wetland soils, which “block” pollutants by effectively purifying the water resource and preventing them from reaching toxic levels and leaching into groundwater (Ramsar Convention, 2010f).

Biological control: The ability to limit the growth of populations of organisms harmful to humans and agricultural production in the territory occupied by the ecological complex and its surroundings. In agriculture, in all phases of cultivation and post-harvest, pests, insects, as well as weeds that compete with crops and limit their growth or microorganisms that generate diseases are dealt with. Biological control occurs when natural enemies such as birds, insects, parasites, viruses and other types of microorganisms are present in habitats surrounding the crop.

Cultural services

Non-material values ​​or benefits obtained from nature: Enjoyment of nature, spiritual enrichment, aesthetic pleasures offered by ecosystems that contribute to human well-being and the maintenance of culture.

This category of ecosystem services includes recreation, tourism, aesthetic appreciation and inspiration for culture, art and design, and spiritual experience and sense of belonging.

Support services

Support habitats for wildlife species: Processes that allow the existence of appropriate spaces for the development of native fauna and flora species in the territory they occupy, allowing the development of nursery areas (reproduction, growth), migration zones, wildlife resting, feeding and sheltering of species

Provision of genetic resources: Capacity to maintain a high diversity of genetic material for actual or potential use in medical, pharmaceutical or other productive applications. This refers to the maintenance of the variety of genes within and outside of populations. In the case of agriculture, the existence of this variability is essential for the development of varieties adapted to new conditions, for example, maize varieties that are more suitable for droughts or frost.

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