Table 1.

List of ecosystem services provided by CWR.

Ecosystem Service	Examples
Supporting service	The conservation of CWR populations maintains genetic diversity and allows for the continuing evolution of the gene pool as a resource for future crop improvement, providing an important supporting service to help meet future demand for improved crop varieties and resilient agricultural systems [32].
Regulating services Provisioning services Cultural services	CWR can regulate certain ecosystem processes such as pest and disease control, pollination efficiency, nutrient cycling, decomposition, erosion control and carbon sequestration [27]. CWR provide a provisioning service of genetic resources when CWR germplasm is collected from wild populations and used by plant breeders to develop improved varieties. In addition, some CWR are harvested and directly used for food, spice, medicine, ceremony or other purposes [28]. CWR are a part of the world’s natural and cultural heritage with potential for ecotourism (e.g., wild coffee forests in Ethiopia) [33].