Ans. Ecosystem Services

The products of ecosystem processes are termed as ecosystem services. Forests are the major sources of ecological services. Some of the ecosystem services they provide are

(i) Purification of air and water.
(ii) Mitigating droughts and floods.
(ii) Cycling nutrients.
(iv) Generating fertile soils
(v) Providing wildlife habitat.
(vi) Maintenance of biodiversity.
(vii) Pollination of crops.
(viii) Providing a storage site for carbon.
(ix)Providing aesthetic, cultural, and spiritual values.

Robert Constanza and his colleagues tried to put price tags on nature's life support services, which was about the US $ 33 trillion a year. No, I am not in favor of levying a charge on ecological services but it is very important, to understand how much nature is providing us for free and if we overuse or misuse its resources, we'll have to pay a heavy price for it.