| Climate change and population growth is impacting the health of the world's ecosystems. This has resulted in a reduction in the ability of ecosystems to provide the services that humans rely on, including producing food, providing clean water and air, and moderating climate. A tenet of urban planning is determining the "highest and best use" of real estate to achieve the greatest economic value. This concept can be expanded to address ecological value if properties also select landscape treatments that promote resilient and regenerative ecological outcomes.;This paper investigates the impacts that landscape treatments such as grass, trees, flowering and non-flowering vegetation, mulch, and impervious surfaces have on the provision of ecosystem services at the community, regional, and global level. Best practices from communities in the United States that effectively provide regulations or incentive programs that promote ecosystem services through the application of landscape treatments are described. This paper concludes by summarizing ecosystem service-friendly landscape treatment recommendations that can be incorporated into regulations or programs to promote multifunctional and regenerative landscapes. |
