Understanding ecosystem services, or the benefits provided by nature, helps individuals, communities, and policymakers make informed decisions about land use, resource management, and environmental conservation.
When people are aware of the benefits that urban forests produce, they can make choices that balance human needs with ecosystem health. The combination of forest patches, nature in parks, street greenery, and any other green or vegetated space in a city generates:
Cultural Benefits
Cultural benefits are ecosystem services obtained from directly interacting with nature through nature immersion activities.
Provisioning Benefits
Provisioning benefits are the raw products nature provides, such as vegetables, wood and honey.
Regulating Benefits
Regulating benefits refers to the ability of nature to self-regulate, mitigating heat and reducing flooding.
Supporting Benefits
Supporting benefits, like habitat for biodiversity and fertile soils, enhance the production of all other ecosystem services that benefit us.
UConn's Urban and Community Forestry team provides educational opportunities about nature's benefits through UConn Extension and its Latine Changemaker program! Become a Changemaker, inform yourself about your community's access to nature's benefits, join us in our monthly community learning sessions at the Hispanic Health Council's Family Wellness Center, celebrate Latino Conservation Week with us, or lead a nature challenge for your friends and family!
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