Ecosystems

Human well-being is dependent on natural and managed ecosystems, which provide crucial functions and resources for nearly everything we eat, make, and do. Clean water and air, soils and nutrients for food production, timber for construction, and other supplies and services we depend on all come from nature.

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Key Messages
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  • Climate change is driving rapid ecosystem transformations.
  • Species changes and biodiversity loss are accelerating.
  • Impacts to ecosystem services create risks and opportunities.

From the Ecosystems chapter of the Fifth National Climate Assessment

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Image Credit

Mallard flush at the Funk Lagoon Waterfowl Production Area, Nebraska. Photo: Brandon Jones/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, CC BY 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, via Flickr