The Millennium Assessment defines ecosystem services as the benefits people derive from ecosystems (MA 2005). Two other definitions frequently cited in the literature are: Ecosystem services are the conditions and processes by which natural ecosystems and the species that compose them support and ensure human life. They maintain biodiversity and the production of ecosystem goods, such as seafood, fodder, industrial products and their precursors (Daily 1997). Ecosystem goods and services (such as waste assimilation) represent benefits that human populations derive directly. or indirectly, ecosystem functions (Costanza et al..,