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Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS-CS)
Citation:
U.S. EPA. Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS-CS). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-13/ORD-004914, 2013.
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of FEGS is to provide a means to standardize ecosystem services classification to create a solid foundation for further use and development. The concepts and specifics presented in this website represent the first comprehensive ecosystem service classification system based on FEGS; therefore, we fully acknowledge that as more people use FEGS-CS, some of the concepts may be clarified and specifics may be modified
Description:
This document defines and classifies 338 Final Ecosystem Goods and Services (FEGS), each defined and uniquely numbered by a combination of environmental class or sub-class and a beneficiary category or sub-category. The introductory section provides the rationale and conceptual foundation for this systematic approach. The bulk of the report is comprised of a series of tables describing additional information for each FEGS. This systematic approach minimizes double counting and relates each FEGS to a defined beneficiary, thus linking it specifically to human well-being. It is anticipated that this approach will facilitate increased communication regarding FEGS among a wide ranging group of scientists, practitioners and communities of all types interested in quantifying ecosystem services.