Ecosystem services and agriculture

Ecosystem services provided by nature, such as fertile soil, clean drinking water or protection against natural hazards, form the basis for our quality of life. Due to its extensive land use and multiple forms of farming, agriculture has a significant impact on many such ecosystem services. On the one hand, it contributes to the maintenance of such services, but on the other hand, it can also jeopardise their survival by affecting ecosystems. The Federal Environment Agency has prepared an Austrian inventory of ecosystem services for agriculture and has identified appropriate indicators to present these services. This inventory serves as a means of communication for policy makers and an interested public.自然所提供的生态系统服务（Ecosystem services），诸如肥沃土壤、洁净饮用水或自然灾害防护，是人类生活质量的核心根基。农业因涉及广泛的土地利用与多样的耕作模式，对诸多此类生态系统服务均产生显著影响。一方面，农业有助于维持这类服务的存续；但另一方面，其也可能通过干扰生态系统，危及这些服务的存续。奥地利联邦环境署（Federal Environment Agency）已编制了奥地利农业生态系统服务清查清单，并确定了用于呈现这些服务的适宜指标。该清查清单可作为面向政策制定者与感兴趣公众的沟通工具。