Ecosystem Services Research

Science to protect and restore the goods and services of nature

This site describes the science objectives, research activities, and accomplishments of the Ecosystem Services Research Program in EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) to advance ecosystem services research and improve knowledge to protect, and restore the services of nature.

Ecosystem services are the many life-sustaining benefits we receive from nature--clean air and water, fertile soil for crop production, pollination, and flood control. These ecosystem services are important to our health and well-being, yet they are limited and often taken for granted as being free.

The Ecosystem Services Research Program is transforming the way we account for the type, quality, and magnitude of nature's goods and services so that they can be considered in environmental management decisions. The research is providing the data, methods, models, and tools needed by states, communities, and tribes to understand the cost and benefits of using ecosystem services.