What environmental service is NOT typically provided by forests?

Forests offer a wide range of environmental services that are crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems, and one of these services is habitat for wildlife. Forests provide shelter, food, and breeding grounds for numerous species, supporting biodiversity and facilitating complex ecological interactions. They also play a significant role in improving air quality by acting as natural filters for pollutants and producing oxygen through photosynthesis. Furthermore, forests contribute to carbon storage, as trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sequester carbon in their biomass, helping to mitigate climate change.

In contrast, soil erosion is not an environmental service provided by forests; rather, it is a negative consequence that can occur due to various factors, including deforestation or poor land management practices. While forests can help prevent soil erosion by stabilizing the soil with their root systems, the term "soil erosion" itself refers to the degradation process where soil is worn away and lost, which is detrimental to the ecosystem. Therefore, identifying soil erosion as a non-service provided by forests aligns with the understanding of their overall positive impact on the environment.