Ecosystem services are the benefits that people derive from ecosystems. Ecosystem services are organized into four types: (i) provisioning services, which are the products people obtain from ecosystems and which may include food, freshwater, timbers, fibers, medicinal plants; (ii) regulating services, which are the benefits people obtain from the regulation of ecosystem processes and which may include surface water purification, carbon storage and sequestration, climate regulation, protection from natural hazards; (iii) cultural services, which are the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems and which may include natural areas that are sacred sites and areas of importance for recreations and aesthetic enjoyment; and (iv) supporting services, which are the natural processes that maintain the other services and which may include soil formation, nutrient cycling and primary production.

References

World Bank. 2018. "Acronyms, abbreviations and glossary," Environmental and Social Framework Resources Washington D.C.: World Bank.