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VICEnvironmental ScienceQuick questions
Unit 3: How can biodiversity and development be sustained?
Quick questions on Ecosystem services (supporting, provisioning, regulating, cultural): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are supporting services?Show answer
Supporting services are the underlying ecological processes that make every other service possible. They include soil formation, nutrient cycling, the water cycle, photosynthesis and primary production. These services act slowly and indirectly, so people rarely notice them, but nothing else works without them.
What are provisioning services?Show answer
Provisioning services are the tangible products that people harvest directly from ecosystems: food, fresh water, timber, fibre, fuel, and genetic resources used in medicine and crop breeding.
What are regulating services?Show answer
Regulating services are the benefits that come from ecosystems controlling natural processes. They include climate regulation, flood and erosion control, water purification, disease control and pollination.
What are cultural services?Show answer
Cultural services are the non-material benefits people gain from ecosystems: recreation and ecotourism, aesthetic enjoyment, scientific and educational value, and spiritual and cultural significance.
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