Biosphere processes

Over the last decade the concept of ecosystem services such as filtration, regulation, pollination, and food production have gained currency. But these ecosystem services in turn depend on even more basic biosphere processes:

• solar energy flow
• water cycling
• nutrient cycling
• community dynamics or succession

These biosphere processes provide the foundation for all sound management, and for ecosystem services such as food, fiber, fuel, mitigation of flood and drought, water and water quality, disease regulation, and recycling of wastes--without which our economy would not be able to function.