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Ecological function

Ecosystem ecology

The ecological role or outcome arising from one or more ecological processes within an ecosystem. Ecological functions emerge from interactions among organisms and the biotic, abiotic, and structural conditions of an ecosystem. They may contribute to ecosystem services but exist independently of whether they provide benefits valued by humans. The term has multiple meanings across ecological disciplines; here it is distinguished from ecological processes, which describe the activities and interactions through which functions arise, and ecosystem services, which describe benefits people obtain from ecosystems. Framework relationship: Biotic + abiotic + structural conditions → ecological processes → ecological functions → ecosystem services

Jax, K. (2005). Function and “functioning” in ecology: What does it mean? Oikos, 111(3), 641–648. de Groot, R. S., Wilson, M. A., & Boumans, R. M. J. (2002). A typology for the classification, description and valuation of ecosystem functions, goods and services. Ecological Economics, 41(3), 393–408. Haines-Young, R., & Potschin, M. (2010). The links between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being. In D. Raffaelli & C. Frid (Eds.), Ecosystem ecology: A new synthesis (pp. 110–139). Cambridge University Press.