Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services

This chapter identifies core principles of ecology and environmental science applicable to the nexus and discusses the tightly coupled socio-ecological systems that establish ecosystems services (ES) within the nexus. The chapter begins by outlining key ecological principles and their interdependencies, demonstrating how ecosystem services are provided related to food, energy, and water. It then illustrates how ecosystems and ecosystem services are valued with respect to the nexus. Next, it outlines the relationship of ecosystem services to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (see Sect. 3.7) before concluding with a case study examining the importance of ecosystem services in erosion control services and conservation agriculture.