Forest Ecosystem Services

“Ecosystem  Services are commonly defined as benefits people obtain from ecosystems.  The Millennium  Ecosystem Assessment – a four-year United Nations assessment of the  condition and trends of the world’s ecosystems – categorizes ecosystem services  as:

• Provisioning Services or the provision of food, fresh water, fuel, fiber, and other goods;
• Regulating Services such as climate, water, and disease regulation as well as pollination;
• Supporting Services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling; and
• Cultural Services such as educational, aesthetic, and cultural heritage values as well as  recreation and tourism.”

This excerpt from the United States Department of Agriculture website explains the broad roles ecosystems play in our lives–Hawaii Forest Tracks takes it one step further by exploring the ecosystems of forests in Hawaii. Join us to discover the many layers of these contributions through historic information, news and feedback.