Ecosystems and Well-being

Ecosystem Functions and Management: Theory and Practice Healthy and functioning ecosystems are necessary for the survival of human beings as they provide life supporting goods and services. These goods and services are often called as ecosystem services. As well as underpinning life on Earth, they provide major inputs to many sectors of the economy, and support our lifestyles. They include such processes as biological control of pests, weeds and diseases, pollination of crops, amelioration of flooding and wind erosion, provision of food (including fisheries), the hydro-geochemical cycle, capture of carbon dioxide by plants and carbon by soil, maintaining tourism revenues etc. Their value been demonstrated to be worth US$ 33,000 billion each year – more than three times that of the world’s largest economy (USA), and equal to global GDP in the year 2000. In other words, mankind cannot survive without healthy and functioning ecosystems. However, ecosystems and thei