ABSTRACT
This section describes and defines the concept of ecosystem services, its application to urban forests and the advantages that the concept has for decision-making and planning in cities. It presents a framework to facilitate comprehensive application of the concept in urban planning. First, the chapter defines the concept of ecosystem services and identifies some classification schemes. Then it outlines how ecosystem services can be valued in an urban context, specifically in relation to the provision of services by urban forests and urban trees, and provides a framework for understanding ecosystem services in urban systems. The chapter then discusses the concept of resilience in relation to ecosystem services, and finishes by discussing the importance of ecosystem services for decision-making.
