Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal, and micro-organism communities and the non-living environment interacting as a functional unit. Ecosystems vary enormously in size; a temporary pond in a tree hollow and an ocean basin can both be ecosystems.
Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems.
These include:
- Provisioning services such as food and water.
- Regulating services such as regulation of floods, drought, land degradation, and disease.
- Supporting services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling.
- Economic value such as tourism.
- Cultural or social services such as health and wellbeing, recreational, spiritual, religious and other non-material benefits.
Ref Home Quality Mark One, Technical Manual SD239, England, Scotland & Wales, published by BRE in 2018.
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