All of the physical, geochemical and biological processes and components that occur or take place in an ecosystem are called ecosystem functions. Ecosystem functions characterize ecosystems by describing the structural components within an ecosystem (such as soil, vegetation, animals) and what functions do they facilitate (provision for wildlife, carbon cycling, water retention, etc.), and their interactions within this ecosystem or with other ecosystems (Miller, 2002). In general ecosystem functions can be divided in 4 main categories:
- regulation functions,
- production functions,
- habitat functions and
- information functions (de Groot et al., 2002).
Referenties
- Living in the Environment. 13th Edition, Miller, G. Tyler Jr., 2002.
- A typology for the classification, description and valuation of ecosystem functions, goods and services, de Groot, Rudolf S., Wilson, Matthew A., Boumans, Roelof M.J., juni 2002.
Zie ook
- Ecosystem functions of rocky shores
- Building with Nature; from concepts to practice
- Building with living nature; conceptual elaboration
- Wadden Sea Plan 2010
- The Benthic Ecosystem Quality Index (BEQI), intercalibration and assessment of Dutch coastal and transitional waters for the Water Framework Directive. Final report
- Oyster reefs and coastal protection
- State of the Art Report (1) Urban Critical Infrastructure Systems
- Ecosystem recovery after hypoxia: what can foraminifera indicate?
- Conceptual framework for Building with Living Nature. Historical perspectives on the Building with Living Nature concept.
- The effects of biogeochemical stressors on seagrass ecosystems
