The government's 25-Year Environment Plan (25YEP) defines natural capital as 'our ecosystems, species, freshwater, land, soils, minerals, our air and our seas'. These natural capital 'assets' are elements of nature that bring value to the country at large. This Value' can be defined in a number of ways. For example, animals and crops provide food, forests timber, and oil energy, while parks offer enjoyment and recreation. Critically, a natural capital valuation includes the benefit of an asset generated by leaving it in situ. Trees provide timber when felled; left alone, however, a forest naturally captures carbon dioxide, which, on a large scale, has a value in preventing climate change and all the associated impacts on human health. The benefits that natural assets offer to human life are called 'ecosystem services'.
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