4 categories of ecosystem services to human wellbeing

The four categories of ecosystem services to human wellbeing are provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. 1. Provisioning services refer to any direct use of products that are obtained from ecosystems. This includes things such as the edible products of fisheries and forestry industry, clean water from mountains and wetlands, textiles from plants and animals, and medicinal products from organisms on shorelines. 2. Regulating services refer to indirect benefits that ecosystems provide to humans. This includes regulation of air quality, water filtration and cycling, carbon storage, and climate control. 3. Supporting services refer to the processes and functions that maintain the other services. This includes soil formation, hydrological cycle maintenance, photosynthesis and nutrient cycling. 4. Cultural services refer to any non-material benefit that humans receive from the natural environment. This includes things such as aesthetics, spiritual and recreational activities, and educational experiences.