Resources for Indigenous & Local People
- The biosphere provides goods and services at both a local and global level
Goods
- Goods are tangible products which can be taken from the ecosystem
- Timber, food and water are all examples of goods
- These can be sold or used to sustain communities in the ecosystem
- They are one of the four services ecosystems provide
Services
- The services provided by ecosystems are essential for life to survive
- There are four groups of services:
- Provisioning
- Regulating
- Cultural
- Supporting
Examples of Goods and Services
Services | Tropical Rainforest |
Provisioning (Goods) |
Timber Fruit/nuts Medicine Water Fuel Animal products (meat/skin) |
Regulating |
Climate Water quality Waste decomposition Soil quality Disease and pest control Air quality |
Cultural |
Health and spiritual benefits Leisure and recreation Employment Cultural heritage Education |
Supporting |
Soil formation Nutrient cycling |
- Many indigenous communities are directly dependant on the ecosystem goods and services
- The Awá in the Amazon rely on the rainforest in a range of ways including:
- Branches and palm leaves for building shelters called Tapāí
- Palm tree fibres to make rope and hammocks
- Wood for fires
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Food sources include honey collected from bee nests in trees, fish and berries such as acaí; tapir, deer and howler monkeys