The built environment is responsible for large negative ecological impacts due in part to the vast amount of materials used in construction. Concurrently, construction and demolition activities result in vast amounts of materials being buried, burnt, and dumped. It is essential therefore to analyze the impact of building materials acquisition, use, and transformation on the ecosystems people inhabit and rely upon for well-being. Typically, this is examined in terms of material use, energy use, and emission of pollutants including greenhouse gases. The impacts various materials have on complex and interconnected networks of ecosystem services are rarely considered. In light of this, this article introduces the concept of ecosystem services in relation to selecting materials for the construction of the built environment. A methodology for applying ecosystem services analysis to building materials specification is presented, and a series of example matrices that examine a selection of materials that are grown, extracted, or made are provided. The article concludes that the potential for positive change in terms of the ecological impact related to building materials across their lifecycles and in how built environments and the materials within them are designed, specified, valued, built, and used is apparent if an understanding of ecosystem services is integrated into built environment materials selection.

建筑环境造成巨大的负面生态影响，部分原因是建筑中使用了大量材料。同时，建筑和拆除活动导致大量材料被掩埋，燃烧和倾倒。因此，至关重要的是分析建筑材料的获取，使用和转变对人们居住和赖以生存的生态系统的影响。通常，将根据材料使用，能源使用以及污染物（包括温室气体）的排放进行检查。很少考虑各种材料对复杂和相互联系的生态系统服务网络的影响。有鉴于此，本文介绍了与选择建筑环境材料有关的生态系统服务的概念。提出了将生态系统服务分析应用于建筑材料规范的方法，并提供了一系列示例矩阵，这些矩阵检查了生长，提取或制造的材料的选择。文章的结论是，如果对生态系统有所了解，那么与建筑材料在其整个生命周期中相关的生态影响以及建筑环境及其内部材料的设计，指定，评估，建造和使用方式的积极变化的潜力是显而易见的。服务已集成到建筑环境材料选择中。