Abstract The recent discussion about the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services also raises the question as to whether the argumentative basis for nature conservation can be strengthened by emphasizing the role of species and habitats in supporting ecosystem services. A literature survey shows that mainly socio-cultural and some regulating services are dependent on particular species, groups of species, or habitat types, while many other services, especially those related to provisioning, rely more heavily on vegetation structures and land cover. These findings are exemplified and discussed using a case study on Natura 2000 sites in the Ore Mountains in the German state of Saxony. Only a small portion of the species listed in the Annexes of the Habitats Directive is bound to particular Natura 2000 habitat types. Such species can be regarded as indicators both for these habitats and for the ecosystem services they provide, as well as for indicating changes in ecosystems and related services, which are caused by climate change and land use changes (e.g. due to flood mitigation measures and the enhanced use of renewable energies).