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T
he benefits that humans
derive from ecosystems
are referred to by ecologists
as ecosystem services. Some of the
natural processes most important
to the continuation of human life
can be classified as ecosystem
services, such as pollination of
crops, decomposition of waste,
and the availability of clean
drinking water. Ecologists argue
that because the enormous
contributions of ecosystem services
to human life are not readily
quantifiable, humans drastically
undervalue these services while
exploiting the natural world’s
resources for profit.Although the idea that humans
benefit from nature has a long
history, it was not until the 1970s
that the balance between nature
and human needs came to the
forefront of ecological debate. The
term “ecosystem services” first
appeared in the mid-1980s, and in
1997 the concept was developed
in two key articles: “Ecosystem
Services: Benefits Supplied to
Human Societies by NaturalIN CONTEXT
KEY FIGURE
Gretchen Daily (1964 –)BEFORE
c.400 bce Greek philosopher
Plato is aware of the human
impact on nature, noting that
deforestation can cause soil to
erode and springs to run dry.1973 German statistician and
economist E.F. Schumacher
coins the term “natural capital”
in his book Small is Beautiful.AFTER
1998 The UN Environment
program, NASA, and the
World Bank release a study
on how protecting the planet
serves human needs.2008 A study at the University
of California, Berkeley, shows
that ecological destruction by
the world’s richest countries
means they owe the world’s
poorest countries more than
the developing world’s debt.NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS
AND THEIR SPECIES HELP
SUSTAIN AND FULFIL
HUMAN LIFE
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
As a sacred mountain, Mount Fuji
supplies a cultural ecosystem service
for the people of Japan, while the
surrounding rich volcanic soil provides
a service to the local tea plantations.US_328-329_Ecosystem_services.indd 328 12/11/18 6:26 PM