Provisioning services are defined as?

• A. Biodiversity maintenance
• B. Material products obtained from ecosystems
• C. Regulation of ecological processes
• D. Cultural or recreational benefits

Answer: (B)

Provisioning services are tangible goods you get from ecosystems—material products that can be harvested, produced, or used directly. Think of food, water, timber, fiber, medicines, and genetic resources. These are the physical outputs people rely on for daily needs and economic use.

This differentiates provisioning from regulating services, which involve the control of ecological processes (like climate regulation or flood control), and cultural services, which are nonmaterial benefits such as recreation, aesthetics, and inspiration. Biodiversity maintenance supports many services but isn’t itself a tangible product, so it isn’t provisioning.