Final answer:
Ecosystem services that make life on Earth possible include the sequestration of atmospheric carbon in rainforests, pollination of crops by bees, and water filtration by wetlands. These services help regulate the climate, contribute to agricultural productivity, and provide clean water.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ecosystem services are essential ecological processes that sustain and fulfill human life. These services provide significant ecological, economic, and societal benefits. Selecting examples of ecosystem services from the given options, the correct answers would be:
Sequestration of atmospheric carbon in rainforests is a vital ecosystem service as it helps regulate the global climate by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, which is essential to mitigate the effects of climate change.
- Pollination of crops by bees is an indispensable service for the production of a significant portion of our food supply, contributing greatly to agricultural productivity and stability.
- Water filtration by freshwater and saltwater wetlands is a critical ecosystem service that helps in the purification of water, providing clean water for various human uses and supporting aquatic life.
A colonizing population of sparrows evolving to survive in a new ecosystem represents an ecological process but does not directly equate to a service for humans. The intrinsic value of orangutans, while important for biodiversity and possibly indirect ecosystem functions, is not typically classified as an 'ecosystem service' in a direct sense.