ABSTRACT

This chapter describes and defines the concept of ecosystem services, its application to urban forests and the advantages that the concept has for decision-making and planning in cities. The concept of ecosystem services refers to the benefits derived from ecological processes that are directly or indirectly provided to humans, and that maintain or improve their well-being. An ecosystem service approach can facilitate the understanding and communication of resource use and the impacts of overconsumption and global change on resources across multiple stakeholders. The concept has been incorporated in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UNDP), from where it will be integrated into policies, accounting of natural capital, national assessments and planning. Urban socio-ecological systems are major users of ecosystem services, not only provided by the urban landscape itself, but also by surrounding natural areas. The chapter then discusses the concept of resilience in relation to ecosystem services, and finishes by discussing the importance of ecosystem services for decision-making.