The UK National Ecosystem Assessment has published its findings in a major report which says there is an urgent need to manage our ecosystems and natural resources better and cites urbanization of greenspace and soil sealing as major concerns.
The NEA examines the full range of services across eight different habitats including marine, urban, woodland, wetland and agricultural.
It found some limited cause for optimism in areas like crop production from farmland and climate regulation by woodlands but over 30% of services were still judged to be in decline and many others degraded.
"The holistic approach we have taken to assessing the ways our well-being depends on the multitude of services delivered by UK ecosystems has reinforced the need to halt the degradation of our land, freshwater and seas," said UK NEA co-chair Steve Albon.
"While we can now make more informed decisions to try to ensure the more sustainable use of natural resources we need to continue integrated research to understand how to adapt and mitigate the pressures of continuing population growth and climate change."
The report says large-scale urbanization generates a perception of ecosystem degradation as well as the fact that construction of houses and roads covers and compacts soil, prevents good drainage, increases flood risks, creates heat islands and pollution of air, soils and water from traffic.
It says many UK soils are degraded and, although sulphur deposition has dropped dramatically since the 1980s, there is continuing loss of soil carbon in arable systems and little or no decline in contaminant deposition from traffic and industry.
But, it says, better understanding is needed of the key mechanisms.
But it points out that mineral soils only form at the rate of 0.04-0.08mm/y and peat soils only at 0.8mm/y, so recovery will always be slow.
The report concludes that the UK has undervalued its natural resources and better evaluation would enable better decision making.
We pay for some services like food or fibre, but are often unaware of the others.
"The UK National Ecosystem Assessment is a vital step forward in our ability to understand the true value of nature and how to sustain the benefits it gives us," said environment secretary Caroline Spelman.
"I want our children to be the first generation to leave the natural environment in a better state than it was left to them."
