Many signs point to the declining capacity of ecosystems.
One way to judge the condition or state of ecosystems is to evaluate their ability to produce the goods and services we rely on. The picture we get from the PAGE results is complex. Ecosystems can be in good condition for producing some goods or services but in poor condition for producing others. For example, a tree plantation may efficiently produce timber or pulp, but it is generally impoverished in terms of biodiversity, habitat value, and scenic beauty compared with a natural forest. Judging the overall condition of the ecosystem means assessing the capacity of the ecosystems over time to provide each of the various goods and services, and then evaluating the trade-offs among them.