Question

Healthy ecosystems are the base of a wide range of ecosystem services. Justify.

Answer 1

Healthy ecosystems provide a base and essential requirement for it to provide a wide range of ecosystem services. Economic, environmental and aesthetic goods and services advantages are provided by a healthy ecosystem. As for advantages from a healthy forest ecosystem include innumerable ecosystem services like purification of air and water, mitigation of droughts and flood check, reservoir of nutrients for human or animal use, cycling of nutrients and recreation, providing habitat to wildlife, shelter for people, maintenance of biodiversity, aesthetic, cultural, spiritual values, forest products etc. Given that an ecosystem is kept healthy, these services can be used infinitely at low maintenance and expenditure. Similarly, all ponds, ocean, desert ecosystems etc provide innumerable services to mankind and nature. If they are kept healthy, they can be sustained for all our generations without having to pay hefty prices.