{"id":12005,"date":"2025-08-26T15:58:41","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T13:58:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etifor.com\/en\/?p=12005"},"modified":"2026-07-02T16:12:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T14:12:58","slug":"ecosystem-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etifor.com\/en\/updates\/ecosystem-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecosystem Services and human wellbeing<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Every day, we benefit from the services that nature provides: clean water, breathable air, fertile soils, landscapes that improve our well-being. But what happens when these services are degraded or disappear? Understanding how ecosystem services work is crucial for those involved in land management and seeking to protect natural capital<\/a> effectively and sustainably. In this article, we explore the meaning of ecosystem services, their main categories, the benefits they provide, and the tools available to enhance their value, including from an economic perspective.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Ecosystem services: definition and meaning<\/h2>\n

“Ecosystem services” refers to all the benefits that natural ecosystems provide to humans, either directly or indirectly. The most widely recognized definition comes from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA, 2005)<\/a>, which describes them as “the multiple benefits provided by ecosystems to humankind.” These benefits stem from the interactions between nature, the economy, and society, and are essential for the survival of living species and for maintaining so-called natural capital<\/a>. According to this definition, use includes direct physical consumption, passive enjoyment, and indirect reception of services. Moreover, ecosystem services encompass all forms of interaction between ecosystems and people, including both local and remote interactions.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Categories of ecosystem services<\/h2>\n

Although still widely used, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) classification that identifies four categories of ecosystem services is now considered partially outdated. More recent frameworks, such as those proposed by the TEEB<\/a> project and the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES<\/a>) developed by the European Environment Agency, reorganize ecosystem services into three main categories:<\/p>\n