Ecosystem Service	Definition	How the Service is Produced
Gas Regulation	Regulation of the earth’s atmosphere to maintain the chemical composition of the earth’s air so it can support all biotic life.	Chemical reactions and physical processes in the atmosphere and by plants that maintain the chemical composition of the earth’s air.
Climate Regulation	Regulation and production of the earth’s physical conditions including temperature, air moisture, precipitation, storms etc.	Physical and chemical processes with in the atmosphere that produce a suitable climate to support life on earth.
Water Cycle / Water Regulation	Recycling and regulation of the earth’s water making it available as precipitation and in waterways.	Chemical, physical and biological processes involving terrestrial plants, waterways, and the atmosphere that recycle and regulate the earths water.
Water Supply	Retention of water in storage reservoirs such as; groundwater aquifers, lakes, dams, oceans etc that supply human use.	Water in the form of precipitation or runoff is trapped and held in natural or manmade reservoirs such as aquifers and lakes.
Erosion Control	Retention of surface soils and buffering against the erosion forces of rain, flowing water and wind.	Retention of soil and buffering of erosion forces by the roots and canopy of vegetation. The flow of surface water is also slowed by vegetation and natural landscape features, which reduces the weathering of soil.
Soil Formation	Weathering of parent rock, decomposition of organic material to produce humus and biological organisms within the soil provide a fertile substrate for vegetation.	Physical, chemical and biological weathering of parent rock material to form small particles of minerals and biological processes of decomposition of organic material to produce humus combined provide habitat for soil dwelling organisms and produce fertile soil.
Nutrient Cycling	The recovery, recycling and storage of essential nutrients within the environment.	Predominately nutrient cycling is produced by the activity of decomposers and all trophic levels within food web that provides nutrition for organisms higher in the chain and cycles nutrients through the environment. There are also elements of the atmosphere involved and physical processes such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and reactions involving nitrogen and lightning.
Waste Treatment	Decomposition and detoxification of waste material and pollutants by biochemical and physical processes.	Biological activity, biochemical and physical reactions produced by organisms that function as decomposers that breakdown and or detoxify waste material and produce nutrients plants or benign compounds.
Pest Control	Regulation of population size by other organisms (i.e. natural enemies such as predators, parasites and pathogens) or by climatic variables and landscape characteristics that restrict population growth.	The activity of biological organisms, elements of climate, or landscape structure that increase the mortality or decrease the reproduction of a population.
Pollination	Movement of pollen (floral gametes) by biotic organisms, wind or water essential for the reproduction of flowering plants.	In the process of feeding on flowering plants many organisms play a vital role in the reproduction of flowering plants by moving pollen from one plant to another. Whereas a number of other plants are pollinated by wind (eg grasses) or water carrying pollen from one plant to another.
Production of Goods	Growth of biomass (plants, animals, fungi etc) and the mineral components of the lithosphere that are useful to humans as products and raw materials.	These goods are either mineral components of the earth, products of chemical and physical processes within the lithosphere or the product of biological activity such as reproduction and growth of populations, or the preservation and decomposition of biological material over long periods of time (e.g. peat and coal).
Genetic Resources	Genetic diversity of living organisms that can provide genes for the improvement of domestic strains of crop, livestock etc, pharmaceuticals and other materials useful to humans.	Genetic material within all living organisms and also viruses provides the blueprint for all compounds, reactions, and characteristics of organisms that could potentially benefit humans.
Recreational Opportunities	The provision of resources for recreational use such as ski-fields, water sports, bush walking, climbing etc.	All the processes and functions of ecosystems that produce resources and landscapes people enjoy for recreational purposes.
Aesthetic Beauty	Provision of attractive landscapes.	All the processes and functions of ecosystems that produce landscapes people enjoy for aesthetic beauty.