Ecosystems and the Services They Provide

Every life form is dependent on ecosystem services for food, water, fiber, ecological regulation and societal values. During the past 50 years, human beings interfered in to the wellbeing of these ecosystems and the services they provide, mainly to fulfill the ever increasing demand of humans. Many ecosystems are being degraded by putting their ecological services in jeopardy and causing considerably irremediable losses of biodiversity from the face of the earth. The degradation of these resources is also expected to grow in the years to come by posing a threat to the wellbeing of humanity in various forms. The threat, therefore, needs a collaborated action from grass root to global level entities and bodies. Strong policy, strategy and institutional frameworks and action plans could also play a role in averting the ongoing degradation of the ecosystem services. This paper is therefore, aimed at highlighting the major ecosystem services and some possible measures that will help to mitigate the degradation of their services.