Describe the term "ecosystem services."

Ecosystem services refer to the wide range of benefits that humans gain from ecosystems. This includes provisioning services, such as the food, fresh water, wood, and fiber that ecosystems provide. Additionally, ecosystem services encompass regulating services, which help to maintain environmental balance through processes like climate regulation, flood control, and pollination of crops. Cultural services, which involve the recreational and spiritual benefits humans derive from nature, also fall under this concept. The importance of ecosystem services lies in their crucial role in human well-being, economic systems, and the sustainability of natural environments, highlighting the interdependencies between human activities and ecological health. Understanding this concept emphasizes the need to protect and manage ecosystems, ensuring they continue to provide these essential services.