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Forest Ecosystem Services

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Life on Land

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

Definitions

Forests encompass the ecosystems characterized by the dominance of trees, it are woody plants of more than 7 m at maturity. Tree cover should exceed 10% or 20%. Forests can be used by humans for multiple purposes, but this is not an essential feature (see e.g., Zomer et al. 2008).

Forest Ecosystem Services comprise the benefits that people obtain from natural and human-managed forests, some of which can be valued economically (after Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005).

Forests and Forest Ecosystem Services: Major Characteristics

What Makes Forests Different from Other Ecosystems?

Forests cover about one third of the land surface and thus about one tenth of the globe. The dominance of trees being the giants among living organisms gives them an aspect very distinct from other ecosystems. From an ecological perspective, the dominance of trees leads to the creation of a shaded and humid microclimate with a certain stability that provides shelter for typical forest-related...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Forest, Nature and Landscape, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Bart Muys

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  1. Bart Muys
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Correspondence to Bart Muys .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. European School of Sustainability, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Center for Neuroscience & Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Anabela Marisa Azul

  3. Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Passo Fundo University Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Passo Fundo, Brazil

    Luciana Brandli

  4. HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Amanda Lange Salvia

  5. International Centre for Thriving, University of Chester, Chester, UK

    Tony Wall

Section Editor information

  1. Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Anabela Marisa Azul

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Muys, B. (2020). Forest Ecosystem Services. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Wall, T. (eds) Life on Land. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71065-5_129-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71065-5_129-2

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71065-5

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Forest Ecosystem Services
    Published:
    01 August 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71065-5_129-2

  2. Original

    Forest Ecosystem Services
    Published:
    26 May 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71065-5_129-1

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