What term describes the natural ecosystem services that purify air and water, decompose organic wastes, regulate local microclimates, and pollinate agricultural crops without direct financial cost to human society?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Ecosystem services
- Step 1: The UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) established an economic and ecological framework valuing nature's contributions to human wellbeing.
- Step 2: Ecosystem services are classified into four major categories: provisioning services (food, timber, freshwater), regulating services (flood mitigation, climate moderation, carbon storage), cultural services (recreation, spiritual value), and supporting services (soil formation, nutrient cycling).
Answer
Ecosystem services
Why not the others: 'Natural selection' Natural selection is the evolutionary mechanism where organisms better adapted to their environment survive and produce more offspring; 'Carrying capacity' Carrying capacity is the maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely; 'Ecological footprint' An ecological footprint measures the resource consumption and waste absorption area required by human populations.
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