Ecosystem services Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services : Ecological Foundations of Human Societies Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Coastal Wetland Ecosystem Services Ecosystem Services Provided by the Atmosphere Life Cycle Assessment as a Tool for Sustainable Management of Ecosystem Services Protecting resources and health by protecting the environment As human populations grow so do the resource demands imposed on ecosystems and the impacts of anthropogenic use and abuse are becoming ever more apparent. This has led to the development of the concept of ecosystem services which describes the beneficial functions provided by ecosystems for human society. Ecosystem services are limited and hence threatened by over exploitation and there is an urgent imperative to evaluate trade offs between immediate and long term human needs and to take action to protect biodiversity which is a key factor in delivering ecosystem services. To help inform