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The European Union has decided to appraise all ecosystem services by 2020, and consider them in national and local decision-making processes, as well as in accounting systems. Jaanus Terasmaa, a senior researcher at the TU Institute of Ecology tells us what the ecosystem services are and how to explain the monetary value of living nature to accountants.

The term ‘ecosystem services’ is simple in its essence – we consider ecosystem services to be all services, goods and natural benefits the ecosystem provides to the individual, the society, and the economy. It is the individual’s duty to not harm the state of the ecosystem with our economic activities, as this would influence the quality of ecosystem services, and thus our everyday lives.

Therefore, the term ‘ecosystem services’ is a socioeconomical construct coined nearly 50 years ago with the goal of talking about nature in a language understood by economists. Using ecosystem services as a starting point gives us a better stance of explaining the necessity of nature preservation to households, corporations, and the public sector. The essence of ecosystem services is described with economic terms as the ability to offer goods and services that satisfy the needs of the human being.

There are many approaches toward defining ecosystem services, but they all have similar cores. There are supply services, for example clean water, food, natural building materials, etc; there are regulatory and preservation services, such as pollination, water purification, defence against floods, biogeochemical cycles, paedogenesis, biodiversity, etc; and cultural services. The latter encompass recording nature, simply being in nature, or exercising there, resting, studying, conducting research, etc. A separate field of ecosystem services are called abiotic services, such as using the surface of the water for boating, setting up wind parks, excavation, etc.

When the goods and services of the ecosystem cease to exist, humankind will suffer a decrease in the quality of life. It is especially important for the society to understand the essence and importance of the cultural, regulatory and preservation services, as the well-being of the man is not just about material values – our life depends on photosynthesis, clean air and water, diverse habitats and pollination. Emotions, knowledge, inspiration and opportunities for resting are not much less important. When ecosystems suffer irreversible harm, it will circle back to us.