Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2010 | Page 62

life

COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING

February/March 2010

Photo above Hampshire Wildlife: Natural Sea Defences

Ecosystems
By Peter Hutchings, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

‘Ecosystems services’ is a concept in which both conservationists and economists
have found some common ground, and politicians are beginning to take notice. Is it
just another piece of jargon or does it apply to the real world? Here’s a simple guide
to the idea, and what it might mean for wildlife and people in our two counties.
Everyone relies on the natural world for

affect our spiritual wellbeing. One way to

support systems that the natural world

survival and general wellbeing*.

help everyone realise the natural world’s

provides us with. These services can be

importance is to consider what it provides

split into a number of categories.

However for most of us in the UK,

• Services that give provisions are those

everyday life is often quite removed

us with and to relate this to human

from nature. We forget that we need the

wellbeing; perhaps even give nature an

that sustain human life. These include

natural world to survive. It provides the

economic value sometimes. Enter the

food, fibre, fuel, natural medicines and

air we breathe and the water we drink.

relatively new concept of ‘ecosystem

pharmaceuticals.

We rely on insects to pollinate crops,

services’.

• Services that regulate natural
processes include local and global climate

wetlands and floodplains to store water
and plants to provide many medicines.

What are ecosystem services?

regulation, water regulation, erosion

Nature also inspires us and can profoundly

‘Ecosystem services’ describe essential life

control (to address soil conservation) and

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