Landscape services

DEFREN

Landscape services are «landscape functions that provide direct economic, social and ecological benefits to individuals and society».

FOEN 2020

Landscape services?

The approach of landscape services makes it possible to find a common language for different stakeholders to formulate their demands and needs for landscapes. The effects of landscapes on us humans can be well described with landscape services. The ‘services approach’ has long been used in the context of biodiversity under the term ‘ecosystem services’. At the international level, the term ‘ecosystem services’ has since been replaced with the term ‘Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP)’ The point of the approach is to show that nature and landscape provide a wealth of different 'services' for human well-being. These services include different categories, namely regulating contributions (A) such as pollination or water purification, material contributions (B) such as food or energy, and non-material contributions (C) such as recreation or aesthetic enjoyment (see graphic).