Ekosistemi so funkcionalne enote pokrajine, ki imajo sposobnost samovzdrževanja. Delovanje ekosistemov temelji na mreži povezav med organizmi in je odvisno od njihove velikosti, zgradbe, vitalnosti in prožnosti. V naravnih razmerah so elementi v dinamičnem ravnovesju in ne prihaja do presežkov oziroma primanjkljajev v pretoku energije in motenj v kroženju snovi. Taki ekosistemi s svojim delovanjem oblikujejo ugodne življenjske razmere in zagotavljajo različne vire za človeka in druge organizme, kar danes poznamo kot ekosistemske storitve. Naši vplivi in posegi mrežo odnosov in procesov v ekosistemu prekinejo ali zmotijo kar se odraža v pomanjkanju in slabi kakovosti virov in spreminjanju razmer v okolju. Zato je edina nadaljnja pot človeštva ohranjanje procesov v naravi. To pomeni da moramo gospodariti ekološko trajnostno, ekonomsko učinkovito in pošteno s socialnega vidika.

Ecosystems are functional units of landscape with high self-regulation potential. Ecosystems’ functions base on the web of relations among organisms and depend on their size, structure, vitality and resilience. Under natural conditions the elements of the ecosystem are in a dynamic equilibrium, therefore neither a surplus, nor a shortage in energy through fl ow and no disturbances in matter cycling occur. Such ecosystems assure favourable conditions for life and different resources for mankind and other organisms, which are nowadays recognized as ecosystem services. Human infl uences and activity affected the structure and function of ecosystems that resulted in shortage and worsened quality of resources as well as in changes of environmental conditions. Therefore our only future is preserving the processes in nature by ecologically sustainable, economically effi cient and socially fair management.