Ecosystem services
<p>Jun 22, 2008 8:38 PM
 
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES  wiki
 
Experts currently recognize five categories of ecosystem services.<a title="" href="#cite_note-Daily_2000-10"><sup id="cite_ref-Daily_2000_10-0" class="reference">[11]</sup></a><a title="" href="#cite_note-11"><sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference">[12]</sup></a> The following lists represent samples of each:</p>
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<dd><i><b>Provisioning services</b></i><b>
</b>
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<dd>• foods (including <a title="Seafood" href="/wiki/Seafood">seafood</a> and <a title="Game (food)" href="/wiki/Game_%28food%29">game</a>) and spices
</dd>
<dd>• precursors to <a title="Medication" href="/wiki/Medication">pharmaceutical</a> and industrial products
</dd>
<dd>• <a title="Energy" href="/wiki/Energy">energy</a> (<a title="Hydropower" href="/wiki/Hydropower">hydropower</a>, <a title="Biofuel" href="/wiki/Biofuel">biomass fuels</a>)
</dd>
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</dd>
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<dd><i>Regulating services</i>
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<dd>• <a title="Carbon sequestration" href="/wiki/Carbon_sequestration" class="mw-redirect">carbon sequestration</a> and <a title="Climate" href="/wiki/Climate">climate</a> regulation
</dd>
<dd>• waste <a title="Decomposition" href="/wiki/Decomposition">decomposition</a> and detoxification
</dd>
<dd>• <a title="Nutrient cycling" href="/wiki/Nutrient_cycling" class="mw-redirect">nutrient dispersal and cycling</a>
</dd>
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</dd>
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<dl>
<dd><i>Supporting services</i>
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<dd>• purification of <a title="Water purification" href="/wiki/Water_purification">water</a> and <a title="Air purification (page does not exist)" href="/w/index.php?title=Air_purification&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new">air</a>
</dd>
<dd>• crop <a title="Pollination" href="/wiki/Pollination">pollination</a> and seed <a title="Dispersal" href="/wiki/Dispersal">dispersal</a>
</dd>
<dd>• <a title="Pest (organism)" href="/wiki/Pest_%28organism%29">pest</a> and <a title="Disease" href="/wiki/Disease">disease</a> control
</dd>
</dl>
</dd>
</dl>
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<dd><i>Cultural services</i>
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<dd>• cultural, intellectual and spiritual inspiration
</dd>
<dd>• <a title="Recreation" href="/wiki/Recreation">recreational</a> experiences (including <a title="Ecotourism" href="/wiki/Ecotourism">ecotourism</a>)
</dd>
<dd>• scientific discovery
</dd>
</dl>
</dd>
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<dd><i>Preserving services</i>
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<dd>• <a title="Genetic diversity" href="/wiki/Genetic_diversity">genetic</a> and <a title="Species diversity" href="/wiki/Species_diversity">species diversity</a> for future use
</dd>
<dd>• accounting for uncertainty
</dd>
<dd>• protection of options
</dd>
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</dd>
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<p> </p>