Ecosystem Services as a Framework for Forest Stewardship

The concept of ecosystem services has emerged as a way of framing and describing the comprehensive set of benefits that people recieve from nature. These include commonly recognized goods like timber and freshwater, as well as processes like climate regulation and water purification, and aesthetic, spirtual, and cultural benefits. The USDA Forest Service has been exploring use of the framework of ecosystem services as a way to describe goods and services provided by federal lands and attract and build partnerships with stakeholders and nongovernmental organizations.