Abstract
The aim of the article is to review current development in the area of ecosystem services. The article analyzes novel approaches emerging after the completion of the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment.
Lessons from sub-global assessments, notably in the South African, are used as examples of ecosystem services importance. Ecosystem services or benefits provided by nature to people have been streamlined into many international processes, such as The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity.
They were also addressed by the scientific community through novel concepts such as a service providing unit or an ecological production function. Practical models are being developed which enable analysis of tradeoffs between different options of land use.
Ecosystem services have been categorized, valued and mapped, but the concept is also becoming popular in private sector. Despite the public goods nature of many of ecosystem services, markets and payments for ecosystem services are steadily rising.
Climate change brings challenges as well as opportunities to wise stewardship and conservation of ecosystem services as critical components of the Earth's biosphere.